Handsome and reliable, Panicum (Switch Grass) can be annual or perennial, evergreen or deciduous grasses, usually with a dense, columnar habit and stiff round stems. In midsummer, slender flower clusters rise above the foliage, opening into loose, airy clouds of pinkish blossoms. Long-lived, Switch Grasses provide nearly year-round interest, as the plants remain upright throughout the winter. Versatile and easy to grow, they can be massed or planted in groups at the back of perennial borders, in mixed plantings or in prairies and native gardens. They can be used as a focal point, at the edges of ponds or pools or in decorative containers.