Little bluestem

A mainstay of the now nearly lost tallgrass prairie, little bluestem was once king of regions where buffalo roamed. Today, in your garden, it's gorgeous when backlit by the sun, especially in fall when it turns a glorious red, tan, or gold. This fine-textured, warm season grass can be incorporated easily into mixed borders, meadows, and wild gardens. It has bluish or green stems and produces tan flower spikelets, which turn silvery white as they age and dry well. It is happy in most soils but little bluestem needs full sun.

Light:

Sun

Zones:

2-7

Plant Type:

Perennial

Plant Height:

2-4 feet tall, depending on variety

Plant Width:

1 foot wide

Flower Color:

Tan spikelets

Bloom Time:

Blooms late summer into fall

Landscape Uses:

Containers,Beds & Borders,Slopes

Special Features:

Attractive Foliage,Fall Color,Winter Interest,Cut Flowers,Attracts Birds,Drought Tolerant,Deer Resistant,Easy to Grow

Top Varieties

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'The Blues' little blustem

Schizachyrium scoparium 'The Blues' is a newer selection that offers grass blades that are more blue than the wild species. In autumn, it turns burgundy purple. 'The Blues' grows 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide. Zones 3-9
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Garden Plans

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Prairie Garden

Plant It With

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Goldenrod

The bright yellow flowerheads of goldenrods show off well against the tawny or golden little bluestem in meadows in fall.

Aster

New England asters bloom in early fall with daisy flowers in shades of pink, lavender, and blue. These mix well with the fall colors of little bluestem in full sun.

Butterfly weed

With bright orange flower heads in midsummer, butterfly weed combines well with the purple-tinted green or bluish stems of little bluestem.

Propagation

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Seed
Division