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Little Bluestem in the Landscape

 

By: Heidi Kratsch, Graham Hunter

Schizachyrium scoparious

Little Bluestem

Description: Perennial, bunch, tufted, occasionally short rhizomatous grass with bronze foliage in the fall. Flowering heads are tufted racemes and can reach heights of up to 1.5 meters. The blades of this grass are 1.5-5 mm wide. This plant can be found naturally in desert surroundings, along waterways and in rock crevices.

 

 

Cultural Requirements:

 

  • Native habitat

prairies, dry hills, woodlands

  • Soil

well drained

  • Drought Tolerance

high

  • Sun/Shade Preference

full sun

  • Transplanting

easy

  • Propagation

seed or division

  • Establishment

moderate

  • Maintenance and Problems

trim back to crown in late winter

 

Landscape Value:

 

  • Use in the Landscape

specimen, in larger landscape it makes a good “drifting” plant.

  • Foliage

showy, attractive fall color

  • Inflorescence

showy

 

Apr

May

June

July

Aug

Sept

Oct

    • Color

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Fruit

Feathery appearance when mature

  • Form

Upright, tight, vertical lines

  • Texture

Fine/med

  • Ultimate Size

1+ meter

  • Rate of Growth

Rapid, full height in 2 years then slowly spreading

  • Plant Community

Parkland , pinyon-juniper, cool desert shrub

  • Availability

“ Utah’s Choice” selection

  • Cultivars

N/A

 

 

More Photos:

 

 

 

References:

  • Waterwise: Native Plants for the Intermountain Landscapes. 2003, Mee, Barnes, Kjelgren, Sutton, Cerny, Johnson

 

 

 

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A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.
Aldo Leopold