''Schizachyrium scoparium'', commonly known as little bluestem or beard grass, is a species of

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and th ...

n prairie

grass Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns a ...

native to most of the contiguous United States (except California, Nevada, and Oregon) as well as a small area north of the Canada–US border and northern Mexico. It is most common in the

Midwestern The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. ...

prairies and is one of the most abundant native plants in Texas grasslands. Little bluestem is a

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also widel ...

bunchgrass Tussock grasses or bunch grasses are a group of grass species in the family Poaceae. They usually grow as singular plants in clumps, tufts, hummocks, or bunches, rather than forming a sod or lawn, in meadows, grasslands, and prairies. As perennial ...

and is prominent in tallgrass prairie, along with big bluestem (''Andropogon gerardi''),

indiangrass ''Sorghastrum nutans'', commonly known as either Indiangrass or yellow Indiangrass, is a North American prairie grass found in the central and eastern United States and Canada, especially in the Great Plains and tallgrass prairies. Descripti ...

(''Sorghastrum nutans'') and switchgrass (''Panicum virgatum''). It is a warm-season species, meaning it employs the C₄ photosynthetic pathway.

Description

Little bluestem grows to become an upright, roundish mound of soft, bluish-green or grayish-green blades in May and June that is about two to three feet high. In July, it initiates flowering stalks, which reach four to five feet in height. In fall, it displays a coppery or mostly orange color with tints of red or purple. Sometimes it displays in some places, as in sandy soils, a redder fall color. It becomes a more orangish-bronze in winter until early spring, when it becomes more tan.

Cultivation

It is recommended for USDA zones 3 to 10. The plant grows best in full sun and on well-drained

soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. Some scientific definitions distinguish ''dirt'' from ''soil'' by restricting the former ...

s. It can be dug up and divided in spring, as many other perennials, for propagation or to reduce the size of an old, big plant. It can be burned in late winter or early spring in a prairie or meadow before new growth, like many American prairie grasses (big bluestem, Indian-grass, and switchgrass), which burn quickly and cleanly.

Cultivars

A number of

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

s have been developed. 'Carousel' is a compact form with especially good fall color developed by Chicagoland Grows. 'The Blues' is a selection that has bluer foliage. 'Standing Ovation' is a tight, upright form with bluer and thicker blades and sturdier stems.

Subdivisions

One variety, var. ''littorale'', is native to the eastern and southern coastal strip of the United States, as well as the shores of the

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lakes ...

. It is adapted to

sand dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...

habitat, and is sometimes considered a separate species, ''S. littorale''.

Culture

Little bluestem is the official state grass of

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...

and

Kansas Kansas () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its Capital city, capital is Topeka, Kansas, Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebras ...

Ecology

Little bluestem is drought tolerant, and is a larval host to the

cobweb skipper ''Hesperia metea'', the cobweb skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It has a scattered distribution in the United States from southern Maine west to Wisconsin, south to central Georgia, the Gulf States and central Texas. The wings ...

, common wood nymph,

crossline skipper ''Polites origenes'', the crossline skipper,
funet.fi

Dakota skipper ''Hesperia dacotae'', the Dakota skipper, is a small to medium-sized North American butterfly. It has a wingspan of approximately one inch and the antennae form a hook. The male's wings are a tawny-orange to brown on the forewings with a prominen ...

dusted skipper ''Atrytonopsis hianna'', the dusted skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in the United States from eastern Wyoming, central Colorado, northern New Mexico and central Texas east to New Hampshire and Massachusetts, so ...

, Indian skipper,

Leonard's skipper ''Hesperia leonardus'', the Leonard's skipper,Leonard's Skipper
Butterflies of Canada ...

, Ottoe skipper, and swarthy skipper.The Xerces Society (2016), ''Gardening for Butterflies: How You Can Attract and Protect Beautiful, Beneficial Insects'', Timber Press. Image:Schizachyrium scoparium - JBM.jpg Image:Little_Bluestem.jpg Image:SchizachyriumScoparium.jpg

References

External links

*
Missouri Botanical Garden's Kemper Center for Home GardeningLittle Bluestem on Kansas Native Plant Society
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3013856 scoparium Bunchgrasses of North America Warm-season grasses of North America Garden plants of North America Grasses of the United States Flora of the Western United States Flora of the Eastern United States Native grasses of the Great Plains region Flora of the United States Grasses of Canada Flora of the Canadian Prairies Plants described in 1903 Flora without expected TNC conservation status