My Deer Garden

Plant record · Ornamental grass · Poaceae

Is Switchgrass deer resistant?

Panicum virgatum

Stand of switchgrass with upright stems and airy seed heads
Photo by Warren Gretz, DOE/NREL, Public domain. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Damage step 1 of 4 · Rarely Damaged

Yes. Deer almost always leave this alone.

Type
Ornamental grass
Hardiness
Zones 5–9
Light
Full sun
Height
36–84 in
Bloom
August–October
Maintenance
Low
Native range
46 US states
Family
Poaceae

Damage steps follow a published university field scale. How plants are rated.

About Switchgrass

Ornamental grasses are broadly deer-resistant and switchgrass is among the most reliable, ignored even in bad winters.

Native across most of North America, which is unusual for a grass this widely planted. It stands through snow, holds seed heads for birds, and turns gold or burgundy depending on the cultivar.

Cut it to the ground in late winter, before new growth starts. Leaving the old stems up through winter is the point of growing it, so resist tidying in fall.

It flops in rich soil and shade. Poor dry ground in full sun produces the upright plant people want; a fed, watered switchgrass falls open from the center after the first heavy rain in August.

Soil and care

Soil pH
5.5 to 7.5
Drainage
Average garden soil
Water
Low
Fertility
Low
Spacing
24 to 35 in apart
Growth rate
Fast
Maintenance
Low

Tolerances and uses

Drought
High
Salt
High
Pollinators
Low

Erosion control·Rain gardens·Coastal sites·Attracts birds

What to plant it with

  • Bee Balm

    Prairie pairing. Grass gives winter structure, bee balm gives mid-summer colour and pollinators.

  • Stonecrop

    Late-season pairing that holds structure right through winter.

Similar to Switchgrass

Other ornamental grasss with the same deer rating.

Where Switchgrass is used

One guide on this site plants it, and says where and what beside it.

Where Switchgrass grows

Hardy across 50 states on zone range alone, and native to 45 of them. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering. Select any state, including one it will not grow in, for what is resistant there.

Alabama — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.Alaska — hardy here. Zones 1 to 8.Arizona — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 10.Arkansas — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.California — hardy here. Zones 7 to 10.Colorado — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 6.Connecticut — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Delaware — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 7.District of Columbia — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 8.Florida — native, and hardy. Zones 8 to 11.Georgia — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.Hawaii — hardy here. Zones 9 to 12.Idaho — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 7.Illinois — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Indiana — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 6.Iowa — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 6.Kansas — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Kentucky — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.Louisiana — native, and hardy. Zones 8 to 10.Maine — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 6.Maryland — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Massachusetts — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Michigan — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 6.Minnesota — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 5.Mississippi — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.Missouri — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Montana — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 6.Nebraska — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 6.Nevada — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 9.New Hampshire — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 6.New Jersey — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.New Mexico — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 9.New York — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 7.North Carolina — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.North Dakota — not hardy here. Zones 3 to 4.Ohio — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 6.Oklahoma — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Oregon — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Pennsylvania — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Rhode Island — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.South Carolina — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.South Dakota — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 5.Tennessee — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Texas — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 9.Utah — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 9.Vermont — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 5.Virginia — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Washington — hardy here. Zones 5 to 8.West Virginia — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Wisconsin — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 5.Wyoming — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 6.
Native and hardyHardy on zone rangeNot hardy — still linked
Choose a state from the listeasier on a phone

Common questions about Switchgrass

Is Switchgrass deer resistant?
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is rated Rarely Damaged, step 1 of 4 on the damage scale this site uses. Deer almost always leave this alone.
What hardiness zones does Switchgrass grow in?
Switchgrass is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Switchgrass grow in shade?
No. Switchgrass wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
How big does Switchgrass get?
Mature height is roughly 36–84 in. Growth rate is fast.
When does Switchgrass bloom?
Switchgrass flowers from August–October.

Browse from here

Every list Switchgrass belongs to.

All ornamental grasss·Rarely damaged·Full sun plants

Hardy in these zones

Zone 5·Zone 6·Zone 7·Zone 8·Zone 9

Damage ratings follow the four-step field scale published by Rutgers University. Growing data is compiled from state extension sources and still being verified record by record. Last reviewed .