Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium · Warm-season, perennial, C4
AI-generated identification · may be incorrect
Grass Category
Native Prairie
Hardiness Zones
USDA Zones 3 through 9, exhibiting excellent cold and heat tolerance with complete winter dormancy.
About This Grass
Upright form reaching 2 to 4 feet tall, transitioning from blue-green in summer to a coppery-bronze and mahogany color in autumn. Features slender stems with fluffy, white, hair-like seed heads at maturity.
Blade Characteristics
Narrow, flat blades about 1/4 inch wide with pointed tips. Foliage is blue-green with a purplish tint near the base, featuring folded vernation and a membranous ligule.
Growing Information
Growth Habit
Bunch-type grass forming dense tufts, expanding slowly via short rhizomes
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun and well-drained soils. Highly drought-tolerant once established and intolerant of wet, poorly drained soils or excessive fertility.
Mowing & Maintenance
Typically left unmown as an ornamental or prairie grass, requiring only an annual spring cutback to ground level. Maintenance level is very low.