Little bluestem

Sun

Full sun; shade encourages weak, floppy growth.

Water

Water regularly during establishment, allowing the soil to dry between waterings. Established plants tolerate drought and usually need watering only during prolonged dry spells.

Soil

Well-drained sandy, gravelly or loamy soil, including poor soil. Tolerates clay if drainage is good; avoid waterlogged ground and heavily enriched soil.

Height

2-4 ft (0.6-1.2 m), including flower stems

Spread

1.5-2 ft (0.45-0.6 m)

Flowers

Late summer to autumn; small purplish-bronze flowers develop into fluffy, silvery-white seedheads.

Foliage

Narrow, upright green to blue-green leaves turn orange, copper or reddish-purple in autumn, then straw-coloured in winter. Colour varies between seedlings and growing conditions.

Growth

Moderate; starts growing late in spring as the soil warms.

Care needed

Low

• Water through the first growing season when the root zone dries out; reduce watering once established.
• Do not routinely fertilise; rich feeding encourages tall, floppy growth.
• Keep mulch away from the crown, especially where winters are wet.
• Do not routinely stake; if plants flop, check for shade, excess water or overly rich soil.
• Divide congested clumps in spring when new shoots appear, usually every three to five years if needed.

Pruning. Leave the dry stems standing through winter. In late winter or early spring, cut them back to 4-6 in (10-15 cm) above the ground before new growth begins.

Late winter

Cut back old stems before fresh shoots emerge; leave them longer if they are still providing useful winter cover.

Spring

Plant or divide as the soil warms and new growth begins; avoid planting into cold, saturated ground.

Late spring

Remove unwanted seedlings while small and check that nearby plants are not shading the clumps.

Summer

Water newly planted clumps during dry weather; avoid routine feeding or watering of established plants.

Autumn

Leave seedheads for birds and winter structure, or remove them before seed disperses if seedlings are unwanted.

• Repeat clumps through a sunny perennial border with coneflowers and blazing stars for upright texture and autumn colour.
• Plant in loose drifts in prairie-style or meadow planting, leaving room for flowering perennials between clumps.
• Use beside gravel paths or on dry, sunny banks where good drainage suits its roots.
• Place where low autumn sunlight catches the silvery seedheads, with an evergreen hedge or dark fence behind.

Garden styles it suits: Native meadow, New perennial (prairie), Midwest prairie, Dry gravel garden, Low-maintenance and Winter interest.

Plant it with: Purple coneflower, Butterfly weed, Prairie dropseed, Rough blazing star, Black-eyed Susan and Aromatic aster.

Wildlife: In its native North American range, it is a larval food plant for several skipper butterflies. Seeds feed small birds, and standing clumps shelter insects and other small wildlife. Its wind-pollinated flowers are not a significant nectar source.

• Flopping: usually caused by shade, rich soil or excess watering; move to full sun, stop feeding and improve drainage.
• Crown or root rot: wet soil can kill clumps, especially in winter; improve drainage or replant on a raised, freely draining site.
• Rust or leaf spots: occasional in humid conditions; improve air circulation, avoid overhead watering and remove affected dead foliage at the annual cutback.
• Unwanted seedlings: remove young plants promptly or cut off seedheads before they shed seed.

Not known to be toxic to cats, dogs, horses or people; no part is recognised as poisonous. It is also a native forage grass for grazing animals.

• Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)

  Usually much taller, with distinctive finger-like seed branches often described as a turkey's foot; little bluestem has small, fluffy seed clusters distributed along slender stems.

• Broomsedge (Andropogon virginicus)

  Has straw-coloured autumn foliage and fluffy seeds partly enclosed by conspicuous leaf-like sheaths; little bluestem usually has stronger copper-red autumn colour and more exposed seed clusters.

• Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)

  Has broader leaves and a large, airy, branching flower cloud; little bluestem has narrower leaves and small seed clusters held close to the stems.

Little bluestem refers to the bluish bases of its young stems and its smaller size compared with big bluestem; scoparium means broom-like.

Propagation. Divide clumps in spring as growth starts, keeping roots and live shoots on each division. Grow from seed sown in spring according to the supplier's instructions; seedlings vary in colour and habit, so divide named cultivars to preserve their characteristics.

Accepted botanical name

Schizachyrium scoparium

In the US and Canada

Native in Canada and the lower 48 states. Introduced in Hawaii.

Native range

Alabama, Alberta, Arkansas, British Columbia, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia and Idaho.

Measured

Soil pH 5.5 to 8.4. Average height 41 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.