USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 4a-9b  Find Your Zone

Plant Type:  Ornamental Grass

Flower Color:  Red tinged

Flower Size:  Small in airy clouds

Flowering Period: Midsummer to Midwinter

Flower Type:  Airy cloud-like panicles

Fragrant Flowers: -

Foliage Color:  Emerges Blue-Gray in spring adding Burgundy Red hues in summer intensifying through fall

Fragrant Foliage:  -

Berries:  -

Berry Color:  -

Attracts:  Visual Attention, Birds

Resistances:  Deer, Disease, Drought (when established), Heat, Humidity, Insect, Rabbits, Periodic Wet Soil

From the breeding program at the University of Connecticut comes Ruby Ribbons, a new hybrid cross that brings the best of Panicum 'Heavy Metal' and Panicum 'Hans Herman'. It produces a 3-foot-tall, upright specimen with foliage that emerges blue-grey, taking on a burgundy-red hue as summer approaches. The foliage intensifies in color throughout summer until nearly the entire plant has turned to burgundy-red by fall. In late summer, 4-foot-tall stems bearing spikes of reddish flowers are a lovely contrast with the dark foliage. The flowers persist well into winter. Being a North American native, Panicum virgatum 'Ruby Ribbons' is easy to grow in a wide range of soils, from moist to very dry when established, and also thrives in both acidic and alkaline conditions. Give it six or more hours of sunlight daily for the best performance. A fine selection for use as a specimen, but also creates a bold statement in groupings and drifts. It is a great companion for fall-blooming perennials.

Click on a link below for helpful advice from our experts on how to plant, fertilize, prune, and water Switch Grasses.