Little Bluestem

Little Bluestem
(Schizachyrium scoparium)

Availability:

• Anticipated for later in the season

Height:

• 2 to 3 feet

Bloom:

• August – October

Classification:

• Native
• Grass

Sun:

• Full sun (best) to Part shade

Soil moisture:

• Dry to Medium

Used by:

• Caterpillars (foliage)
• Songbirds (seeds)

Notes:

• Little bluestem is what’s called a bunch grass which means it forms clumps instead of a solid mat like the turf grass in your yard.
• The foliage is blue-green in spring and reddish-brown in fall and winter.
• Little bluestem is a warm season grass which means that most of its growth occurs during summer and early fall.
• The vegetation remains standing throughout the winter which provides shelter to songbirds and other small wildlife.
• Bumble bee queens will sometimes crawl into the vegetation at the base of the clump to overwinter.
• Deer resistant

Native Range:

Relevant Backyard Ecology Resources:

Little Bluestem: A Native Grass for Prairies and Gardens

Plant Native Grasses