Good Gardening: Little Bluestem

Most people have no concept of grasses aside from turf lawns. And that's too bad. Grasses can contribute much to your home landscape and with relatively little effort.
For example, little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) {formerly Andropogon scoparius} is a perennial, warm season, native grass that has become a wildly popular ornamental. It is a common component of our landscapes, occuring in sandplain grasslands, oak-hickory forests, pine barrens and dry roadsides throughout our area.

Little bluestem forms dense, upright tufts of bluish-green leaves that typically reach 2-4' tall and 12" wide. It's shorter stature makes it an ideal wildflower companion. Its extensive root system acts as a barrier to weeds, keeping wildflower competitors to a minimum.

In late summer its small, purplish-bronze flowers bloom. The real show stopper is in autumn, when the flowers turn to fluffy white seeds on the tips of bronze-maroon-orange fall foliage. Who needs sugar maples with these autumnal hues? These stems persist, contributing interest to the winter garden.

The grass is an important food plant for the caterpillars of many species of skipper butterflies. It's also one of the critical species for grassland birds. Interplantings with Eastern red cedars are striking, and a sure way to lure more avian critters and human gawkers to your winter landscape.