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New Plant
New/Featured for 2025

Full Sun
Full Sun

Partial Shade
Partial Shade

Shade Lover
Full Shade

Drought Tolerant
Drought Tolerant

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Picture Available

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Drawing Available

(PPAF) = Propagation of this plant prohibited without a license.

Hardiness Zone Map


Panicum virgatum ‘Purple Tears’

Panicum

Switch Grass

Our Panicums are warm season prairie grasses native to North America. Resistant to heat, drought and extreme cold, Switch Grass hosts a cloud of inflorescences—a mystifying hologram of tiny red seeds that mature to black in late summer. If grown in drifts and not cut back until early spring, Panicums promise a lively winter show. After several frosty nights, they stiffen and adopt the warm glowing color and soft rustling sound of wheat.

<i>Panicum virgatum</i> ‘Purple Tears’

Famed designer and plantsman Piet Oudolf discovered this superb new Panicum growing in his personal garden. A probable Panicum ‘Shenandoah’ offspring, ‘Purple Tears’ premiers an alluring aura of smoky gray-tipped flowering spikes studded with bead-like purple seed heads. All this eye-catching violet intrigue lingers above natty medium green blades, furnishing an upright, somewhat narrow habit that promises grace, versatility and resilience plus warm red-orange autumnal hues. (pp#28,518)

Blooms August–October

Size: 4' 0" high x 2' 0" – 2-1/2' wide.

Hardy to zone 4.

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