Schizachyrium scoparium, commonly called little bluestem, is a native, perennial, warm-season grass that grows in small clumps about 2-4' tall and 1-2' wide with blue-gray to green, narrow-leaf grass-blade foliage. The 'Standing Ovation' cultivar features deeper blue colors with red tips on the leaf blades, which are wider than those found on straight species plants. In the fall, 'Standing Ovation' takes on deeper hues of red and maroon than the bronze-orange of its parent plant, and these darker colors persist through the fall and winter. Beyond its ornamental value, little bluestem is a valuable cover plant for a variety of different wildlife and plays host to a number of developing butterfly and moth larvae.
Little bluestem is a highly adaptable plant, proving tolerant to snow, rain, drought, flood, deer browsing, and a variety of soils including clay and saline conditions, but Schizachyrium scoparium generally does best in drier soils in full sun. Little bluestem is an upright and attractive addition to a variety of landscapes, and its multi-season interest and ecological appeal only add to its ornamental value.