Little Bluestem – Simcoe County Master Gardener

Simcoe County Master Gardeners

Grow Natives!

PLANT PROFILE

COMMON NAME: Little bluestem

BINOMIAL: Schizachyrium scoparium

Family	Poaceae (Grass)
Cdn Native Range	Native in all Canadian provinces except NS and NL
Natural habitat	prairies, sandy shores, alvars
Type	warm season grass
Features	blue-green foliage becomes bronze and copper/reddish in the fall; leaves stand upright and dried through the winter; creamy white, fluffy, feathery seed heads
Growth habit	clumping, upright; dense tufts at the base and airy foliage
Mature height	60–90 cm (24–36”)
Mature spread	30–60 cm (12–24”)
Life span	long-lived, at least 5–10 years
Cdn Hardiness Zone	3–9
Growing conditions	full sun
Soil conditions	well-drained; grows well in nutrient-poor soil: very deep roots
Watering needs	average to dry
Fertilizer needs	none. may become floppy in rich soils
Tolerance	drought: salt
Maintenance rank	low once established
Maintenance needs	minimal; well behaved; spreads lightly through self-seeding
Bloom	hairy spikelets produce reddish-brown florets; late summer to fall
Fruit	n/a
Pollinator support	larval host for skippers (dusted, cobweb, Indian, swarthy, crossline, Leonard’s), common wood-nymph butterfly, and Stereomita andropogonismoth
Environmental support	dried leaves for bird nesting; seeds for birds; erosion control
Garden Use	small gardens; mass plantings
Risks & Cautions	n/a

References: In Our Nature, www.inournature.ca; Native Plant Trust Plant Search; plantfinder.nativeplanttrust.org/Plant-Search; North American Native Plant Assn, nanps.org; Lorraine Johnson and Sheila Colla. A Garden for the Rusty-Patched Bumblebee: Creating Habitat for Native Pollinators (ON and Great Lakes Edition). Douglas & McIntyre, 2022.