Panicum 'Shenandoah' | Red Switchgrass | Native Ornamental Grass | Burgundy Fall Color | Deer Resistant Perennial | 1 Gallon Live Plant

Bring bold color and graceful movement to your landscape with Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah', an award-winning native switchgrass prized for its dramatic burgundy foliage, airy pink flower panicles, and outstanding fall color. This upright ornamental grass adds year-round interest while requiring very little maintenance, making it a favorite for modern landscapes, prairie gardens, and naturalized plantings.

Fresh green blades emerge in spring with distinctive red-tipped foliage that deepens throughout summer before turning rich shades of burgundy, scarlet, and orange in autumn. In midsummer, delicate pink flower panicles rise above the foliage, eventually maturing into attractive seed heads that provide winter texture and food for birds.

As a North American native grass, 'Shenandoah' is exceptionally adaptable, thriving in a wide range of soils while tolerating drought, clay, seasonal wet conditions, salt, and deer browsing.

🌾 Key Features

• ❤️ Spectacular burgundy-red foliage
• 🌸 Airy pink flower panicles
• 🍂 Outstanding red-orange fall color
• 🦌 Deer resistant
• 🐦 Attractive winter seed heads for birds
• 🌾 Native North American ornamental grass
• ☀️ Heat and drought tolerant once established
• 🌱 Low-maintenance perennial

🌿 Plant Details

• Botanical Name: Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah'
• Common Name: Shenandoah Switchgrass
• Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial Ornamental Grass
• Foliage Color: Green with Red Tips, Maturing to Burgundy
• Flower Color: Pink
• Bloom Season: Mid-Summer to Fall
• Mature Height: 4–5 Feet
• Spread: 2–3 Feet
• Growth Habit: Upright Clumping
• Light Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
• Water Needs: Moderate
• Soil: Adaptable to Most Well-Drained Soils
• Hardiness Zones: USDA 4–9
• Characteristics: Native, Deer Resistant, Salt Tolerant, Wet Soil Tolerant, Low Maintenance

🌼 Garden Uses

Perfect for:

• Native plant gardens
• Prairie gardens
• Modern landscapes
• Rain gardens
• Pollinator habitats
• Privacy screening
• Mass plantings
• Foundation beds
• Pond edges
• Erosion control
• Large containers
• Four-season landscapes

Its upright habit provides excellent structure while adding movement with every breeze.

🌸 Companion Plants

Pairs beautifully with:

• Echinacea (Coneflower)
• Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)
• Little Bluestem
• Joe-Pye Weed
• Asters
• Sedum 'Autumn Joy'
• Russian Sage
• Pennisetum 'Little Bunny'
• Baptisia
• Coreopsis

These combinations create colorful, wildlife-friendly landscapes with season-long interest.

🌱 Care Instructions

• Plant in full sun for the richest foliage color.
• Adaptable to clay, sandy, and average garden soils.
• Water regularly during the first growing season.
• Once established, tolerate periods of drought.
• Leave seed heads standing through winter for wildlife and winter interest.
• Cut foliage back to 4–6 inches in late winter or early spring before new growth emerges.
• Divide every 4–5 years if desired to maintain vigor.