‘Shenandoah’ continues to add interest to the Herbaceous Beds.
Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’ is a rhizomatous, clump-forming perennial grass, which grows to 1m in height and spread. As with many of the grasses, it is valuable for adding movement and texture to plantings. It has slender, erect foliage which takes on reddish hues at the tips as the season progresses, and it will persist into winter when the leaves take on golden colourings. Panicles of purple-green spikelets are formed in late summer, and these provide delicate contrast to the foliage. P. virgatum, or switch grass, is a North American species, which has given rise to numerous widely grown cultivars, including ‘Shenandoah’, ‘Squaw’ and ‘heavy Metal’.