Broomsedge Bluestem
Andropogon virginicus · Warm-season, Perennial, C4
AI-generated identification · may be incorrect
Grass Category
Native Prairie Grass / Pasture Forage / Erosion Control
Hardiness Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 9; highly cold-hardy and heat-tolerant, going dormant in winter and turning a prominent straw-orange color.
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae, tribe Andropogoneae
Variety / Cultivar
Native straight species (no specific agricultural cultivars commonly used)
About This Grass
An upright, clump-forming warm-season perennial grass typically reaching 2 to 4 feet tall. It has narrow, grayish-green to yellow-green leaves that turn a distinct coppery-orange to straw color in autumn and winter, persisting through the cold season. Seed heads are partially enclosed in sheath-like spathes with silvery, silky hairs.
Blade Characteristics
Blades are narrow (2-5mm), flat or folded, often with hairs near the base on the upper surface. The color is blue-green to yellowish-green. Vernation is folded, ligule is a short membrane with a fringe of hairs, and auricles are absent.
Root System
Fibrous and deep-reaching root system with short rhizomes, providing good drought resistance and excellent erosion control on sloping or disturbed soils. Establishes moderately from seed.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to the Americas, primarily eastern and central North America; well-adapted to poor, acidic soils in open woods, old fields, and disturbed prairies.
Growth Habit
Bunch-type (clump-forming), growing in upright tufts with short rhizomes.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun for best growth and color development. Low water requirements once established, highly drought tolerant. Thrives in poor, dry, acidic, nutrient-deficient soils, particularly low in phosphorus.
Mowing & Maintenance
Low maintenance. Generally not used in managed turf lawns; managed in pastures or natural areas by controlled burning or occasional mowing to prevent woody encroachment.
Special Characteristics
Low palatability for livestock except when very young and tender; excellent for erosion control, poor soil stabilization, and wildlife cover. Not suitable for fine turf due to its coarse, clump-forming habit.
Ecological Information
Native species that provides important winter cover and nesting habitat for ground-nesting birds and small mammals. Common pioneer species in abandoned agricultural fields, serving as a transitional plant in ecological succession.