Switchgrass

What is switchgrass?
Switchgrass is a perennial warm season grass native to North America that occurs naturally from 55°N latitude in Canada southwards into the United States and Mexico.

Where does switchgrass grow?
Switchgrass is one of the dominant species of the central North American tallgrass prairie and can be found in remnant prairies, in native grass pastures, and naturalized along roadsides.
 

What is switchgrass used for?
It is used primarily for soil conservation, forage production, game cover, as an ornamental grass, and more recently as a biomass crop for ethanol, fiber, electricity, and heat production and for biosequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide.
 

When does switchgrass grow?
Switchgrass is a hardy, deep-rooted, perennial rhizomatous grass that begins growth in late spring. It can grow up to 2.7 m high. The leaves are 30-90 cm long, with a prominent midrib.
 

What are the characteristics of swithcgrass?
Switchgrass uses C4 carbon fixation, giving it an advantage in conditions of drought and high temperature. Its flowers have a well-developed panicle, often up to 60 cm long, and it bears a good crop of seeds. The seeds are 3-6 mm long and up to 1.5 mm wide, and are developed from a single-flowered spikelet. Both glumes are present and well developed. When ripe, the seeds sometimes take on a pink or dull-purple tinge, and turn golden brown with the foliage of the plant in the fall. Unlike corn, switchgrass can grow on marginal lands and requires relatively modest levels of chemical fertilizers. Overall, it is considered a resource-efficient, low-input crop for producing bioenergy from farmland.

How long can switchgrass live?
Switchgrass is both a perennial and self-seeding crop, which means farmers do not have to plant and re-seed after annual harvesting. Once established, a switchgrass stand can survive for ten years or longer.

Additional Information:

Growing and Harvesting Switchgrass for Ethanol Production in Tennessee
Using Switchgrass for Forage