Schizachyrium scoparium, little bluestem
/By Hanna LeFlore (2020)
Little Bluestem is a perennial bunchgrass native to eastern North America found commonly in prairies, fields, and limestone glades (Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, 2019; Missouri Botanical Garden). Schizachyrium scoparium is best known for its attractive, fine-textured foliage that is bluish in color during the spring and summer. The slender stems reach from 2 to 3 feet, emerging from dense mounds of grass. Leaves are flat, linear, and are up to a ¼ inch wide (Missouri Botanical Garden). Leaf blades are arranged alternately with parallel venation. The blue-green foliage turns a beautiful mahogany-red color in the fall and produces white seed tufts. This bunchgrass reseeds readily and is also propagated by tillers and underground rootstock (Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, 2019).
Blue-green and purple stems of S. scoparium
Little bluestem tolerates high heat, drought, and a wide range of soil conditions, including shallow-rocky, dry, and poor soils (Missouri Botanical Garden). This ornamental grass serves as a great low-maintenance perennial in naturalistic gardens and prairie-like landscapes. Once the tall, linear leaves mature, purplish-bronze flowers emerge in 3-inch racemes off branched stems around August. After flowering, clusters of shiny-white, fuzzy seed heads appear and persist through to winter (Missouri Botanical Garden). Many birds and small mammals enjoy the seeds and nesting material available. Skipper moths also use S. scoparium as a host during their larval stage (Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, 2019). Little bluestem is great for grazing livestock. Just one acre of little bluestem can produce almost 2 tons of forage for cattle (Kansas Native Plant Society, 2013)! Luckily, this ornamental grass is highly resistant to grazing deer (Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, 2019).
White, fuzzy seed heads (npspot.org)
Little bluestem is also well tolerated by spring and fall fires. After a fire has occurred, root growth, soil temperature, and light penetration increases along with nutrient availability (Steinberg, 2002). Little bluestem roots reach as far as 8 feet below underground (Kansas Native Plant Society, 2013)! This characteristic may aid in the plants ability to rejuvenate and grow after a burn. This may be beneficial to those who perform prescribed burns in their fields or pasture to help reduce understory growth and promote re-emergence of native plants. Little bluestem is also a dominant grass in the blackland and mixed-prairie regions of Texas (Steinberg, 2002).
Schizachyrium scoparium provides attractive foliage throughout the year, ranging from blue-green and purple in the spring and summer to a golden red in the winter. Little bluestem also adds a lovely accent to the garden while also attracting birds and butterflies. This ornamental grass looks lovely when bunched together and readily reseeds. It is also recommended to cut back little bluestem from late winter to early spring (Missouri Botanical Garden). Along with being Texas heat and drought tolerant, this native perennial is perfect for providing attractive colors and textures in the low maintenance landscape.
Little bluestem showing off fall colors (missouribotanicalgarden.org)
Missouri Botanical Garden. N.d. Schizachyrium scoparium. 12 Sept. 2020. https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=f510
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. 2019. Schizachyrium scoparium. 12 Sept. 2020. https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SCSC
Steinberg, P.D. 2002. Schizachyrium scoparium. 13 Sept. 2020. https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/graminoid/schsco/all.html
Kansas Native Plant Society. 2013. Little Bluestem facts. 12 Sept. 2020. https://www.kansasnativeplantsociety.org/stategrass_facts.php
