Planting DesignDiscover the right plants for your garden.
Prairie Winds ® ' Blue Paradise ' little bluestem . Photo by : Proven Winners
A furrowed aborigine of North American tall-grass prairies , little bluestem ( Schizachyrium scoparium ) also polish in the recurrent garden because of its many ornamental attributes and easy - care nature . This clumping , warm - time of year ornamental supergrass is prized for its upright blasphemous - green leafage , which turn vibrant shades of red , orange , and copper in the fall . In later summer , wispy silver - ashen cum heads appear , add ornamental stake well into winter while providing a worthful food reference for bird .
Like many native prairie plants , little bluestem has adapted well to challenging conditions , including drouth , misfortunate soil quality , and utmost temperature . This resilience makes it an first-class choice for hot , dry climate and water - overbold gardens .
Little Andropogon furcatus is also a corking addition to a pollinator garden because it serves as the larval host flora for several captain butterfly stroke species and provide protection and nesting sites for bees and other pollinating insects .
On this page : Basics|Planting|Care|Varieties|Frequently Asked Questions
BASICS
Botanical name:
Schizachyrium scoparium
Common names:
Little bluestem
Plant type:
Perennial
Zones:
3 - 9
Native range:
According to theUSDA , short blue stem is native across the entire continental United States , with the exclusion of Nevada and Oregon .
Exposure:
Full Dominicus
Habit:
Upright
Mature size:
2 to 4 feet tall , 1 to 2 base wide-cut
Foliage:
Flat , linear leaves can be various shade of depressed and green , sometimes with pink or over-embellished mark . Fall colouration can alter depending on the cultivar , straddle from orange to bronze to deep red and purple .
Flowers:
Small , inconspicuous swooning burn or beige blossom take place on tall stems in previous summer , surveil by more obtrusive silver - white germ heads .
Landscape uses:
Mixed borders , meadow gardens , heap plantings , wildlife gardens , corrosion dominance , container plantings .
" Little bluestem is wonderful plant en masse shot . The optic dynamic it provides cooking stove from juicy - Green River in late summertime to golden with cotton - tufted seedheads in winter . “—Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Prairie Winds ® ' Brush Strokes ' little bluestem . pic by : Proven winner
" If you ’re seem for a perennial that ’s going to give you pass interest group , but also some winter interest as well , if you allow it standing , then ‘ Brush Strokes ’ is a great one to consider . “—Andrew Jager , Proven Winners Perennials
HOW TO PLANT LITTLE BLUESTEM
When to plant:
Because little Andropogon furcatus is a warm - season eatage , the best metre to institute is in spring to give plants an entire grow time of year to lay down strong roots before facing harsh wintertime condition . plant in early summertime also works well , but be certain to keep young plant life well - watered during dry patch to aid them get establish .
Where to plant:
lilliputian bluestem grows practiced in a internet site that receives at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sun daily . While it can tolerate some clean shade , too much spectre can result in floppy growth and less vivid fall semblance .
Soil:
Will grow in a wide cooking stove of soil type as long as they are well - run out , including sandy , loamy , and even rocky soils . Avoid planting in heavy clay , unless it is amended with organic matter to ameliorate drainage .
Planting:
grind a hole that is as deep as the base ball and double as wide . Place your flora in the hole , ensuring the diadem is level with the surrounding grease . fill up the jam with soil , pack down gently to remove air pocket , and water good . Water plant regularly until established .
Spacing:
When planting short bluestem in mathematical group , infinite plants about plants about 18 to 24 in apart to allow for their clump - take shape growth riding habit .
LITTLE BLUESTEM CARE
Watering:
During the first mature time of year , piss little bluestem profoundly once a hebdomad to help it establish a strong root organisation . Once established , little bluestem can withstand period of drouth and only necessitate watering during keep up teetotal spells . Avoid overwatering , as it can cause the flora to fall through over .
Amendments and fertilizer:
Little bluestem thrives in modest to moderately fertile soils and call for little or no supplemental fertilization . Soil that is too high-pitched in nutrient can extend to droop or lodging , a condition where the fore of the plant decrease over at the base .
Pruning:
leave behind the leafage and ejaculate head of minuscule blue stem standing through wintertime to furnish ornamental interest as well as food and shelter for wildlife . In late winter to early bounce , cut the old year ’s growth back to nigh dry land level . When the soil temperatures warm up up in late natural spring , small bluestem will begin to fill in with new , good for you increase .
" The decent thing about trivial Andropogon furcatus is that they have a all right texture so they ’re pretty prosperous to cut back . " — Kelly Norris , horticulturist , landscape painting clothes designer , author .
Propagating:
By seed or by dividing establish clumps in early spring . ( * See short letter below on propagate or disunite patent plant . Check your plant tag for the ® or ™ symbol by the plant life name . )
Pests and diseases:
Little blue stem is not susceptible to any serious gadfly or disease and is rarely irritate by deer . You may occasionally encounter foliar diseases such as rust fungus and leafage point , but they usually are not detrimental to plant health .
LITTLE BLUE STEM VARIETIES
Photo by : Proven Winners
Prairie Winds ® ' Blue Paradise'—Buy now from Proven WinnersSchizachyrium scoparium
Height and spread:36 to 42 inch tall , 24 column inch wide
Striking silverish blue foliage work recondite wine red in fall . An upright , columnar habit add up a nice vertical element to the garden and maintains its body structure and involvement through winter .
" ' Blue Paradise ' is a gravid native grass for adding height to narrow spaces . The columniform wont does not flop open through the entire time of year , a famed trait particularly when compared to other little bluestem miscellany . " — Proven Winners Perennials .
Prairie Winds ® ' Brush Strokes'—Buy now from Proven WinnersSchizachyrium scoparium
elevation and spread:32 to 36 inch marvellous , 22 to 26 inches wide
Features magniloquent , bristle - like blades that turn away gently in the breeze then riposte to their vertical position , tot graceful drift to the garden . The leafage starts out a soft gunpowder blueing in spring and summer , then turns vino red in the declension , providing a long season of pastime .
Photo by : N. Stertz / Shutterstock
' Standing Ovation’Schizachyrium scoparium
tiptop and disperse : Up to 48 inches tall , 24 inches wide
depressed - green foliage with a tinge of purple at the tips modulation to smart as a whip shades of bolshie and orange in the fall . Maintains a hefty , just appearance , thanks to exceptionally inflexible stems that wo n’t fall through over , even in high winds and heavy rain .
Photo by : Hort Pics / Millette Photomedia
' The Blues’Schizachyrium scoparium
Height and spread : Up to 36 inches tall , 24 inch wide
Named for its magnificent steely blue foliage , this stunning cultivar is accentuate by red stems and turn eye - catching Bourgogne and purple shades in the fall . farm good in low - birthrate soil and dry conditions .
Photo by : Scott Weber / Millette Photomedia
' Blaze’Schizachyrium scoparium
pinnacle and spread:24 to 36 inches tall,18 inch wide
The most notable feature of this cultivar is its exceptional evenfall color , as the leaf passage from grizzly - green in summer to fiery tad of red and orange . Much of the color hang on through wintertime , giving this plant outstanding year - round interest .
Photo by : PlantsNouveau
' Carousel’Schizachyrium scoparium
Height and spread : Up to 30 inches tall and wide
introduce by theChicagoland Grows ® program , this compact cultivar was selected for its unique rounded riding habit and upright stanch that do not lodge in crepuscle and winter . The blue - green foliation exhibit undertones of pink in the summertime , before turn refulgent copper , orange , and Venetian red hues in autumn .
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is little bluestem okay to plant over a septic field?
Yes , little blue stem is generally a good choice to plant over a septic field because the roots of juiceless prairie plant are less likely to occupy and clog infected organisation pipes because they do not boom in water - impregnate conditions . For more information about native plants suitable for originate near a drain field , stop out this article fromMichigan State University .
Is little bluestem invasive?
No , slight bluestem is not consider incursive . It is a native grass coinage widely distribute across North America and normally used in prairie restoration projects . Little bluestem is well - behaved in gardens and does not scatter sharply through hush-hush rhizomes , like someinvasive plantsdo .
When is the best time to cut back little bluestem?
Because little bluestem tot up optic pastime to the garden during the winter calendar month , await until early natural spring , just before new growth begin , to cut it back . At that time , use sharp pruning shears to cut the lump back to about 2 to 4 inches above the earth .
How does little bluestem spread?
Little bluestem chiefly spreads by ego - seeding , since the flossy source heads are easily dispersed by the jazz and can germinate under favorable conditions . If you want to manage its bed cover , you could plainly monitor and move out any unwanted seedlings .
Is little bluestem toxic?
No , little Andropogon furcatus is not consider to be toxic to people or animals . However , as with any decorative plant , it ’s always a skilful idea to keep intake by pets and children , since it may cause digestive turnover .
What pairs well with little bluestem?
picayune bluestem pair beautifully with wildflower and other aboriginal prairie grasses that thrive in similar alike produce conditions . Some to consider let in purpleconeflower , black - eyed Susan , switchgrass , goldenrod , blazing star , milkweed , mantle flower , andasters . Not only are these fellow traveller plantings visually appealing , they also create a low - maintenance prairie - inspired garden that support regional wildlife .
- REGARDING PROPAGATION : When it comes to circulate patented plants , there are hard-and-fast rules in place proscribe reproductive memory or propagation of these plant in any way . This means you ca n’t reproduce them ( even for exercise in your own garden ) , sell them , or bring them into the land without permit . The law of nature does not make exceptions for what some might view small-scale violation . Any wildcat enjoyment of patented plants is regard an infringement .
