Schizachyrium scoparium – Little Bluestem Grass

General Information: This clumping grass has a unique blue hue during the height of summer, followed by a much more modest brown winter look. The clumps, known as tussocks, retain their blades through dormancy, redeveloping each spring as fresh growth. An increasingly popular native landscape choice hailed for being extremely widespread and adaptable. This grass is found throughout North America and is documented as native to each of the lower 48 States except California, Oregon, and Nevada. Little Bluestem clumps will gradually increase in size each year naturally, but they tend to grow quicker if their blades are cut once per year after they have gone dormant. This fire-adapted species thrives when exposed to periodic controlled burns in late winter or early spring. This plant is an indicator of healthy prairie ecosystems and is used by many animals as shelter and nesting material. Little Bluestem is also a host plant to several Butterfly and Moth species. This grass historically played a vital role in Indigenous fire-based land management practices and continues to play a pivotal part as state agencies throughout the US begin to adopt fire management on state-owned lands.

Cultivation Details: Numerous cultivars of this species exist, however, we offer the native ecotype from Southampton, MA collected on our farm. Due to the wide range and adaptability of Little Bluestem, we recommend our ecotype (Schizachyrium scoparium var scoparium) for cold-climate growers. Our plants have had millennia to adapt to the sand plains of Western Massachusetts, making them well-suited for areas with cold winters (to -20°F or lower) and hot, humid summers. Consider planting Little Bluestem with wildflowers to create an appealing living arrangement, or create a mass planting as a landscaping accent. The sterile grass blades are typically 1-2 feet tall, but the spindly flowering stalks can reach 5 feet in optimal conditions. Ideal for rewilding, pocket prairies, lawn replacement, border plantings, foundation plantings, or planting along roadsides. This long-lived species is rugged and tolerates extreme conditions with ease.

Growing Requirements: Plant in full sun. Does not tolerate shade. Tolerates all soil types. Especially tolerant of sand, gravel, and thin rocky soils. Prefers well-drained soils. Does not tolerate wet soils. Plants may suffer if over-irrigated. Suitable for most soil pH. Uniquely tolerant of very acidic and very alkaline soils.

Fun Facts: There are two other subspecies of this plant. The subspecies S. scoparium var. divergens is found in Southeastern Pine Forest ecosystems and has hairier stems and leaves. The subspecies S. scoparium var. litorale, sometimes identified as a separate species (Schizachyrium littorale), has a range confined to dunes along the Atlantic, Gulf, and Great Lakes coasts.