Schizachyrium scoparium 'Twilight Zone' (Little Bluestem) Unity Grown

Schizachyrium scoparium 'Twilight Zone' is a beautiful upright cultivar of little bluestem, a native warm season perennial grass that grows in arching clumps. Growing to a larger size of up to four or five feet, 'Twilight Zone' little bluestem is noted for its incredibly unique colors in the mid to late summer and fall. Similar to several other bluestems, 'Twilight Zone' foliage emerges in the spring with a blue-green hue, but as the summer progresses, the cultivar picks up iridescent silvery, dark purple tones that stand out from every other bluestem on the market. 'Twilight Zone' makes for a highly dependable choice in tougher spots of the home garden, proving tolerant to intense heat and drought, as well as flood, erosion, deer browsing, and a variety of ground conditions including clay and saline soils.

The 'Twilight Zone' cultivar is already a striking variegated addition to the available cultivars of Schizachyrium scoparium and in late summer this bluestem's extraordinary foliage contrasts well against the plant's pale tan and pink-tinged flowers. Schizachyrium scoparium 'Twilight Zone' is an excellent ornamental little bluestem selection, and is well-regarded for use in rain gardens and as a host plant for several species of butterfly, including Leonard's Skipper (Hesperia leonardus) and the Indian Skipper (Hesperia sassacus), both of which are endangered in Maryland.