Growing Switchgrass in Your Houston, Texas Garden

Switchgrass is a great plant to use as an accent in your Houston, Texas garden. Most varieties of this ornamental grass are drought tolerant and disease resistant, and easily survive the Houston, Texas winter. Switchgrass does best when planted in full sun, and its flowers will bloom all summer and fall. Some varieties have foliage that will turn from blue, green and gray to warm red colors as the summer progresses. You can use these perennials as groundcover in your Houston, Texas garden, or in your mixed borders. If you think you would enjoy growing Switchgrass in your own Houston, Texas garden, try planting some of the varieties below.

Prairie Sky. This Switchgrass is very fast growing, reaching heights of up to four feet in your Houston, Texas garden. It has beautiful red flowers, and pale blue foliage that makes a striking accent during the winter. Plant this Switchgrass in full sun in your Houston, Teas garden, where it will bloom in the summer and fall. It is disease resistant, drought tolerant, and will regrow in the spring (cut it to the ground in January or February.)

Shenandoah. The pretty blue-green leaves of this Switchgrass will turn a gorgeous maroon during the summer months. It also has very beautiful red flowers that bloom in clusters during the summer and fall. Be sure to plant Shenandoah Switchgrass in the full sun in your Houston, Texas garden, where they will quickly grow to be about four feet tall. They are also disease resistant, drought tolerant, and don't mind the wet weather, either. They do prefer well-drained soil.

Ruby Ribbons. Named for the rich wine color its leaves turn in the summer months (they start out as blue-gray), plant this Switchgrass in the full sun of your Houston, Texas garden. It will grow to be about four feet tall, and will bloom with spiky flowers in the fall. Ruby Ribbons Switchgrass is cold hardy down to zero degrees (unlikely in Houston, Texas), and makes a very striking accent plant for your garden.

Alamo. Alamo Switchgrass is a great choice if you are looking for a groundcover with waxy, blue-green leaves. Plant it in the spring in full sun in your Houston, Texas garden, where it will grow to be about five or six feet tall. Alamo Switchgrass is drought tolerant and disease resistant, and easily survives the Houston, Texas winter.

Kanlow. Plant this perennial in the full sun in your Houston, Texas garden, where it will rapidly reach heights of up to five feet. This Switchgrass is a terrific choice for groundcover, and its pretty green leaves also look lovely in the back of your mixed borders. Disease resistant and drought tolerant, Kanlow Switchgrass will do very well in your Houston, Texas garden. Be sure to cut it back in late winter (January is a good time.)

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Personal experience
http://www.chron.com/apps/chron_data/plant.mpl