Description
Schizachyrium scoparium 'The Blues'
Height: 2-4ft
Spread: 1.5-2ft
Zone: 3-9
Exposure: Full sun
Bloom Time/Color: August-October, purple/bronze
Uses: Naturalizing, massing, prairies
Maintenance: Low
Other: Fall color, deer resistance
Little bluestem is a native prairie grass that is exceptional for site adaptability, addition of color to the landscape, and for its cold hardiness. Flat foliage is blue throughout most of the growing season before changing a reddish-purple in the fall. Reddish-brown seed heads rise out of the mound forming foliage in late summer, and if left on the plant through winter, provide texture and interest to an otherwise bleak landscape. Tolerates clay, drought, alkaline, and other poor soils as well as high heat and humidity. It is also known to have some deer resistance. Named the Perennial Plant of the Year for 2022.
Schizachyrium scoparium is an Iowa native.
