Schizachyrium scoparium (Little Bluestem) Unity Grown

Schizachyrium scoparium, commonly called little bluestem, is a native, perennial, warm-season grass that grows in small clumps about 2-4' tall and 1-3' wide with blue-gray to green, narrow-leaf grass-blade foliage. During the cooler months, the blue-green foliage turns to a red-orange hue with white seed tufts, and these shades of bronze persist through the 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.