Feature: Great American Plants by the NRCS Plant Materials Program
While many useful switchgrass varieties have appeared in recent
years, 'Blackwell,' selected in 1944 by the Manhattan, Kansas Plant Materials
Center and the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station, has an enduring
conservation record.
Material that became 'Blackwell' was originally
collected from a single plant near Blackwell, Oklahoma, and was evaluated against other
switchgrass collections at the Plant Materials Center. The variety is an upland type of switchgrass,
moderately tall (4 feet at maturity) and leafy, with good seedling vigor. It displays good
resistance to stem rust disease. Its effectiveness is apparent in economic analysis numbers:
'Blackwell' has been used on 735,000 acres for an ecological benefit of $29 million.
'Blackwell' is recommended for use on rangelands, pastures, waterways, and disturbed sites.
It is adapted to well-drained, medium-textured soils across the eastern half of the U.S.
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