Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
A native prairie grass that transforms from blue-green summer foliage to brilliant orange-red fall color. This adaptable bunch grass is perfect for naturalized areas and provides four-season interest with fluffy white seed heads that persist through winter.
Harvest
N/Ad
Days to harvest
Sun
Full sun
Zones
3–9
USDA hardiness
Height
2-4 feet
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Little Bluestem in USDA Zone 7
All Zone 7 grass →Zone Map
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Little Bluestem · Zones 3–9
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
Complete Growing Guide
Soil: Clay, Loam (Silt), Sand, Shallow Rocky. Soil pH: Acid (<6.0), Alkaline (>8.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0). Drainage: Good Drainage, Moist, Occasionally Dry. Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.. Spread: 1 ft. 6 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.. Spacing: 12 inches-3 feet, 3 feet-6 feet. Growth rate: Medium. Maintenance: 'Blaze' 'Blue Heaven'Taller more upright foliage. Leaves are brighter steel blue color with purple highlights 'Carousel' 'Ha Ha Tonka'Blue-green foliage with light-catching hairs 'Prairie Blues' 'Standing Ovation'Wide blue leaves red tips. Fall color red/maroon. 'The Blues'Blue foliage and red stems 'Twilight Zone'Purplish leaves, 'Blaze', 'Blue Heaven', 'Carousel', 'Ha Ha Tonka', 'Prairie Blues', 'Standing Ovation', 'The Blues', 'Twilight Zone'. Propagation: Seed. Regions: Coastal, Mountains, Piedmont.
Harvesting
Purple-bronze seed heads give excellent fall and winter interest. Fruits are available July-November.
Color: Gold/Yellow, Purple/Lavender.
Garden value: Showy
Harvest time: Fall, Summer
Bloom time: Fall, Summer
History & Origin
Origin: Eastern North America
Advantages
- +Attracts: Butterflies, Pollinators, Small Mammals, Songbirds
- +Wildlife value: Provides excellent cover year round. This is a larval host plant that supports various skipper larvae and Common Wood-Nymph (Cercyonis pegala) which have one brood from late May to October. Adult Common Wood-Nymph butterflies feed on rotting fruit and flower nectar. Seeds are eaten by songbirds and small mammals.
Considerations
- -High maintenance
Companion Plants
Plant Together
Purple Coneflower
Shares similar drought tolerance and soil preferences, attracts beneficial pollinators
Black-eyed Susan
Complementary bloom times and similar water needs, creates attractive prairie combinations
Wild Bergamot
Both native prairie plants with similar growing conditions, attracts butterflies and beneficial insects
Blanket Flower
Drought-tolerant companion with similar sun requirements, provides color contrast
Prairie Dropseed
Compatible native grass that creates textural variety without competing aggressively
Butterfly Weed
Deep taproot doesn't compete with shallow grass roots, attracts pollinators
Sideoats Grama
Cool-season grass that complements warm-season Little Bluestem growth pattern
Wild Lupine
Nitrogen-fixing legume improves soil fertility for grass growth
Keep Apart
Tall Fescue
Aggressive cool-season grass that outcompetes and can crowd out native warm-season grasses
Tree of Heaven
Allelopathic properties inhibit growth of native grasses and other plants
Crown Vetch
Invasive legume that forms dense mats and smothers native grasses
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Excellent, native hardiness
Common Pests
Very few pest issues
Diseases
Highly disease resistant