Panicum elegans 'Explosion Grass'

Panicum elegans is a graceful annual grass grown for its glittering, silvery seed heads that catch the light and create a soft haze in the garden. Quick to flower from seed, plants reach 45 to 60cm (18 to 24in) tall within a few months of sowing, their slender stems carrying delicate sprays that bring movement and texture to borders.

Florists value the feathery sprays for their lightness, lending airiness without weight and perfectly offsetting bolder blooms in both fresh and dried arrangements. Easy and reliable to grow, it softens plantings, weaving naturally among annuals and perennials, and is equally at home in cottage borders, cutting patches or relaxed meadow-style plantings. Its airy seed heads retain their sparkle when dried, making them invaluable for winter displays and craft work, and it remains one of the most versatile and dependable filler grasses for gardeners and arrangers alike.

In the garden, it is best planted an masse, where it will soften the edges of beds and borders and add movement and even sound as the breeze passes through. For cutting, Panicum elegans is extremely productive and an excellent foliage filler; for a summer-long harvest, sow in three successions roughly 3 to 4 weeks apart. Native to southern Africa, where it grows as a short-lived annual in sandy soils, it was first described in the 19th century and introduced to Europe soon after; the epithet elegans simply means 'graceful', an apt reflection of its light, sparkling panicles.

Sowing: Sow indoors in late winter to early spring or sow in autumn.
Sow indoors from late winter to mid-spring, 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost, or directly outdoors once the soil has warmed. Use trays or pots of good quality, free-draining compost. Scatter the seed thinly on the surface and lightly press in, as light aids germination.
Keep at 18 to 22°C (65 to 72°F). Germination usually takes 7 to 14 days.

Cultivation:
When large enough to handle, prick out and grow on in cooler conditions. Harden off carefully before planting outside once frosts have passed, spacing plants about 20cm (8in) apart. For direct sowing, sow thinly into finely prepared soil after the danger of frost has gone.
Choose a sunny position with well-drained soil, plants will will take a little part shade. They are drought tolerant once established and need little more than occasional watering in prolonged dry spells.

Harvesting for Cut Flowers:
Panicum will bulk up producing ‘sparkler’ wands for use in bouquets and arrangements from summer until the frosts.
Stems are best cut just as the seed heads begin to open for use in arrangements, although the stems can be cut at any stage from neatly emerging stems to fully exploded fireworks. The more mature the stem, the larger the explosion grows.
Regular cutting encourages fresh growth and prolongs the display. Condition the stems by placing them in water for a few hours. Expect a vase life of 7 to 10 days.

Plant Uses:
Cut Flower Arranging, Fresh or Dried. Filler or textural element in bouquets and containers. Borders and beds, Naturalistic gardens, mixed grass plantings and relaxed meadow-style plantings.

Origin:
Panicum elegans is native to southern Africa, where it grows as a short-lived annual in open, sandy soils. It was first described in the mid-19th century by European botanists cataloguing ornamental grasses from the Cape region. Its light, glittering panicles quickly attracted attention among gardeners and was soon introduced into cultivation in Europe as a decorative filler grass. By the late 20th century, selections were being marketed specifically for the cut-flower trade. They have become international favourites, widely grown by commercial florists and garden enthusiasts alike.

Nomenclature:
The genus name Panicum derives from classical Latin panis meaning 'bread', as many species were historically grown for grain.
Also the Latin panicula meaning ‘with branched-racemose or cymose inflorescences’, ‘tufted’, ‘paniculate’, or ‘with panicles’. This name is in reference to the flowers of this species.
The species epithet elegans simply means 'graceful' or 'elegant', a fitting description of its light, sparkling panicles.
It has long been valued in ornamental horticulture. The named selections introduced by American cut flower growers in the late 20th century and have become staples of florist bunches worldwide.
It is commonly known as Explosion Grass, Fiber Optic Grass or Witch Grass. The name 'Witch Grass ' is more often applied to the related Panicum capillare, but has also been given to Panicum elegans for its fine, cloud-like sprays that seem almost magical in the garden and vase.

Panicum species :
Panicum is a large genus that contains both annual and perennial species. The 'airy filler' types are annual, while the clump-forming border grasses are perennial. The species you’re most likely to come across in gardens, cut flowers, or landscaping are:

Annual ornamentals - popular in cut-flower work: fast, airy seed heads in the same year you sow:

Panicum elegans — airy, green sprays, popular in cut flowers (fresh & dried).
Panicum capillare — soft, cloud-like seed heads, often used in floristry.
Panicum miliaceum — grown ornamentally for its seed heads, also a cereal crop.

Perennial ornamentals/landscape grasses:

Panicum virgatum — tall, upright clumps, lots of cultivars for borders and prairie planting.
Panicum amarum — coastal species, strong clumps, used for stabilising dunes but occasionally ornamental.