Culture: Easily grown in average, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun. Tolerates a wide range of soil conditions. Tolerates clay soils and occasional inundation. Performs well in poor soils. Good drought resistance once established. Tolerates high heat and humidity. Cut to the ground in late winter to early spring.
Noteworthy Characteristics: Schizachyrium scoparium, commonly called little bluestem, is native to prairies, fields, clearings, hills, limestone glades, roadsides, waste areas and open woods from Alberta to Quebec south to Arizona and Florida. It was one of the dominant grasses of the vast tallgrass prairie region which once covered rich and fertile soils in many parts of central North America. It typically matures to 2-4’ (less frequently to 5’) tall, and features upright clumps of slender, flat, linear green leaves (to 1/4“ wide), with each leaf having a tinge of blue at the base. Purplish-bronze flowers appear in 3” long racemes on branched stems rising above the foliage in August. Flowers are followed by clusters of fluffy, silvery-white seed heads which are attractive and often persist into winter. Many consider the most outstanding ornamental feature of this grass to be its bronze-orange fall foliage color.
Genus name comes from the Latin schizein meaning to split and achyron meaning chaff. Specific epithet means broomlike. Common name is in reference to the lavender-blue color on the stem bases.
‘Blaze’ is a little bluestem cultivar that is noted for its vivid red fall foliage. It typically grows in an erect, broom-like clump to 2-3’ tall. Slender, flat, linear leaves (1/4” wide) emerge light blue in spring, darken to gray-green in summer, acquire purple highlights in late summer before exploding into a blaze of fall color consisting of intense shades of pinkish-orange to reddish-purple to vivid red. Foliage typically retains some color throughout winter. In July-August, flower stems rise higher than the foliage clump bearing small reddish-brown flowers. Flowers give way to seed heads fringed with showy, silvery-white hairs. Seed heads may persist into winter.
Problems: No serious insect or disease problems.
Garden Uses: Ornamental grass for borders, cottage gardens, rain gardens, wild gardens, wood margins, meadows or prairie-like settings. Group or mass. A good low-maintenance selection for sun-baked areas. ‘Blaze’ has excellent fall color.
All plant information courtesy of the Missouri Botanical Garden
Little Bluestem is an iconic warm season grass of the prairie habitat that is commonly used in both landscaping and restoration projects. In shortgrass prairies, it is often the dominant species along with Side-oats Grama. In tallgrass prairies, companion grasses include Big Bluestem, Indian Grass, and Switch Grass.
One of the most widely distributed species of grass in the US, Little Bluestem is very drought-tolerant, but it can do well in moist situations too. Farmers have used this species for hay, but consecutive years of haying will likely cause the species to disappear. In a garden setting, Little Bluestem is valued for its blue-green color in the summer and, after the first frost, it turns beautiful shades of brown, copper, and crimson that will remain all winter. The grass gets fluffy white seed heads that also adds seasonal interest. Some gardeners choose to remove the seed fluff to control the spread of young seedlings.
Little Bluestem is an excellent plant for wildlife. The caterpillars of several skippers feed on the foliage, including Dusted Skipper, Cobweb Skipper, Ottoe Skipper, Indian Skipper, Swarthy Skipper, and the Crossline Skipper. Other insects that feed on Little Bluestem include grasshoppers, Prairie Walkingsticks, the leaf-mining beetles, thrips, spittlebugs, and leafhoppers. The seeds of this grass are eaten by songbirds. Other names for this plant include Andropogon scoparius and Beardgrass.
Price range: $6.00 through $12.00
