Specimen record
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Description
A tall, warm-season native bunchgrass that produces large, open, airy seed heads (panicles) in late summer. Switchgrass is a keystone species of the tallgrass prairie and also occurs naturally in moist meadows and stream corridors in New England. It has gained prominence as a potential biofuel crop. The golden autumn color and persistent upright stems add winter interest to the landscape.
Identification tips
- 1Tall (1–2 m) bunchgrass with large, diffuse, airy panicles in late summer
- 2Wide leaf blades (8–15 mm) with a distinct patch of hair at the collar (ligule area)
- 3Stems stiff and upright, often remaining standing through winter
- 4Seed heads open and spreading — not compact or one-sided
- 5Grows in moist meadows and along stream banks in dense clumps
Specimen & preservation notes
Press a stem section with the panicle and a leaf blade showing the hairy ligule area (use a hand lens). Grasses are best pressed when the panicle is freshly open. Include a separate leaf showing the collar region detail. Label the ligule character on the herbarium sheet.
Habitats
Collection calendar
| Wk | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov |
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| 4 |
Collection notes
Season check
Observed bloom also extends into July.
Flowering records: 1 iNaturalist observations, Massachusetts · Nearby: 90 observations within 25 km