Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium

Moisture:: Moist or Dry

Exposure: Full Sun - Part Shade

Blooms: August-September

Height: 1-3 feet

Description:

Little Bluestem is a native perennial prairie grass that was once very common in our historic prairie landscapes. It grows in tight clumps in dry and sandy soils in prairies, roadsides, and other dry areas. It is a warm season grass, meaning it really takes off when Minnesota summer temperatures start rising. The leaves are a greenish-blue in the spring and summer but turn reddish in the fall which lasts through winter. The leaf blades are about a 1/4 of an inch wide and about 10-12 inches long with spikelets of flowers on the top. As the flowers produce seed they become white and feathery, with the seed eventually falling off. Little Bluestem is a host plant for a variety of butterflies in Minnesota and is a very popular landscaping plant.