Illinois Extension
extension.illinois.edu › blogs › grasses-glance › 2024-10-28-little-bluestem-showstopper-fall
Little Bluestem, a showstopper in fall | Grasses at a Glance | Illinois Extension | UIUC
October 28, 2024 - Little Bluestem has short green to green-blue leaves along its stems, and they have a membranous ligule at the base of the leaf blades where they wrap around the stem to form a sheath. The stems of Little Bluestem, like Big Bluestem and Broomsedge, are a bit flattened, rather than perfectly round, which you can feel if you roll the stem between your fingers.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/nativeplantgardening › big bluestem vs little bluestem
r/NativePlantGardening on Reddit: Big bluestem vs little bluestem
July 2, 2023 -
I'm interested in planting a native grass in the hopes of providing habitat/food for insects and birds. It seems like big bluestem and little bluestem are the species that host the most species of insects. I live in New England.
I prefer the shorter height of little bluestem, but I've read that it needs full sun whereas big bluestem can tolerate partial shade which gives me more options on where to plant it.
I've also looked at bottlebrush grass because it is very shade tolerant but it doesn't host as many insects as the bluestems so I'm not inclined to plant it unless it's my only option.
To anyone who has grown any of those grasses (or other native grasses like Indian grass), which ones did ok in shade and which had the most insect life? Are native grasses even worth it considering they don't provide nectar/pollen for pollinators?
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Plant them all. Each plant will find it’s niche where it will thrive and you will have a more diverse community of insects, birds, and animals as well.
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Both grasses and sedges are necessary for pollinator diversity. Just take this list of butterflies from Penn State as an example: https://extension.psu.edu/programs/master-gardener/counties/york/native-plants/fact-sheets/butterfly-larval-host-plant-list In PA Bluestems will host the Common Wood Nymph, but there's also the Little Wood Satyr and three species of skipper that do not host on bluestems, and require one of the other native grasses like Purpletop , or Bluegrass , or Rice Cut Grass . And then there's the Appalachian Brown butterfly, whose only hosts are sedges in the genus Carex. Carex is insanely diverse and common in the northeast, with many New England counties hosting more than 100 species: http://bonap.org/2015_SpecialtyMaps/Most%20Number%20of%20Native%20Species/Number%20of%20Species%20per%20Genus%20Maps/rank%20001%20Carex.png Many of these are in cultivation, and would be great choices for a shady spot, damp or dry. Wood Sedge , Pennsylvania Sedge , Fox Sedge , and Star Sedge are a few popular examples. As long as what you choose is native to your area, and well adapted to your site's conditions, it'll provide plenty of benefit to local insects. And there's enough diversity in your area that you can probably find room for several species, multiplying the benefits.
Big bluestem vs little bluestem
Plant them all. Each plant will find it’s niche where it will thrive and you will have a more diverse community of insects, birds, and animals as well. More on reddit.com
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July 2, 2023Little bluestem sprouts grown from seed in my garden. Will this teeny group of leaves eventually turn into a big tuft of grass, or do I need more seeds?
As a non-US person, I'm ignorant and curious ... I've watched these docos about the Wild West of the USA and something I can't get over is the native grasses of the Plains that have 3 metre deep roots. The amazing part is how much work the early settlers must have put in to eradicate these grasses to plant their crops, the understandable part is how drought turned Oklahoma into a dust bowl, which may not have happened if it was still a prairie. And the curious part is that this is the first post I've seen mentioning replanting native prairie grasses. I think my ignorance is at least partially to blame, I don't recognise the names. Is part of the reason that tall grasses are less popular in plantings is that they don't have pretty flowers, so there's less motivation to plant them? I see that. I've known since I bought this house two years ago that I should plant some carex apressa, a 2m tall native grass/sedge that is excellent for habitat, because I live in a soggy block next to the mangroves and having checked out nature areas with the same conditions in my area, they are an integral part of the bioscape. But ... well, they take up a lot of space, don't offer a lot visually, and need sun, which I don't have a lot of in my yard, so I've not been able to see a place for them in my garden, only where they'd function well at other people's places. The good news is that during my rambling comment I've thought of a good place for them. Along part of my new black fence with the lawn-adoring neighbours. These neighbours hate trees, worship lawns and regularly put down poison on our fence line. The poison killed the greater part of my earliest plantings, at the top end of our shared fence line, and the plant free poison area has become a channel for all the upslope water run off straight into the bay. So, I'll plant carex apressa next to the black 6 foot / 1.8m high fence - lime green against black looks very good. I won't need to build up the soil in that area, they enjoy boggy conditions, being a sedge, they'll filter the poisons somewhat before hitting the bay waters, they clump thick so should help in stopping their invasive exotic grass and pennywort from coming into my garden. Plus, they won't grow too tall and scary for my tree hating neighbours. Slower growing flowering tall shrubs can be planted in front of them. So, thanks for the space to ramble! More on reddit.com
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June 9, 2022Big blue or little bluestem?? Midwest region. TIA
midwest: can little bluestem be used as a yard grass?
I don’t think it can be mown frequently or anything like that More on reddit.com
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March 28, 2024Videos
07:07
Native Grass Plantings In Old Sand Pit - Big Bluestem, Little ...
01:00
Identifying Bluestem Species - YouTube
How to Identify Big Bluestem - Grasses at a Glance - YouTube
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broomsedge bluestem & little blue stem - YouTube
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Identifying Big Bluestem - YouTube
McKay Nursery
mckaynursery.com › home › big bluestem grass
Big Bluestem Native Ornamental Grass
Big Bluestem Grass is a warm season, upright clump-forming, native grass that has silvery-blue foliage. In fall, it turns orange to bronze in color. Purple "turkey foot" seed heads emerge in August and add interest as foliage sways in the breeze. This ornamental grass offers erosion control, nesting habitat, and cover for many mammals and birds.
A-Z Animals
a-z-animals.com › animals home › plants › big bluestem vs little bluestem: what's the difference?
Big Bluestem vs Little Bluestem: What's the Difference? - A-Z Animals
October 14, 2022 - Big bluestem is often referred to as turkeyfoot, bluejoint, or simply tall bluestem. Its scientific name is Andropogon gerardi, part of the Panicoideae family and the Andropogon genus.
MU Extension
extension.missouri.edu › publications › g4673
Big Bluestem, Indiangrass and Switchgrass | MU Extension
Also, wildlife biologists and upland game managers use warm-season grasses for game habitat, nesting and holding areas. The stubble of the grasses remains erect over the winter providing nesting cover and protected "trafficways." Little bluestem, lovegrass and sideoats grama are usually in these seeding mixtures in addition to big bluestem and indiangrass.
Prairie Moon Nursery
prairiemoon.com › home › seeds › schizachyrium scoparium
Schizachyrium scoparium Little Bluestem | Prairie Moon Nursery
Schizachyrium scoparium
Little Bluestem is an iconic warm season grass of the
prairie habitat that is commonly used in both landscaping and restoration
projects. In shortgrass prairies, it is often the dominant species along with Side-oats
Grama. In tallgrass prairies, companion grasses include Big
Bluestem, Indian
Grass, and Switch
Grass.One of the most widely distributed species of grass in the
US, Little Bluestem is very drought-tolerant, but it can do well in moist
situations too.
Farmers have used this species for hay, but consecutive years of haying
will likely cause the species to disappear. In a gar
Price $21.00
Blooms to Bees
bloomstobees.com › blog › big-little-bluestem-grass
Big and Little Bluestem Grasses — Blooms to Bees
October 26, 2022 - Little bluestem begins to change color from blue-green to red. If you’re wondering why I’m going on about some prairie grasses out in Colorado when my garden is in Pennsylvania, you might be surprised to learn that bluestem grasses are native to most of the United States. Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) has a range that starts at the east coast and extends to cover two-thirds of the United States and Canada, and little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) is present in all but two western states.
Address Pittsburgh, PA 15216 USA
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Schizachyrium_scoparium
Schizachyrium scoparium - Wikipedia
September 7, 2025 - 'The Blues' is a selection that has bluer foliage. 'Standing Ovation' is a tight, upright form with bluer and thicker blades and sturdier stems. Little bluestem is the official state grass of Nebraska and Kansas.
CattleToday.com
cattletoday.com › cattle boards › grasses, pastures & hay
Big Bluestem | CattleToday.com - Cattle, Cow & Ranching Community
July 12, 2010 - Big Bluestem is call "big" as opposed to "Little Bluestem".......because IT IS BIG. A grass that forms a clump a foot or better in diameter and 6-10 inches tall with grass 3-4 feet tall, maybe taller.
Missouri Department of Conservation
mdc.mo.gov › discover-nature › field-guide › little-bluestem
Little Bluestem | Missouri Department of Conservation
Little bluestem is a native perennial bunch grass with flowering stalks reaching 1–4 feet tall. A warm-season grass, it does most of its growth during the hottest part of summer.Leaves are green, about ¼ inch wide; the bases are typically bluish, hence the name.
University of Texas at Austin
w3.biosci.utexas.edu › prc › DigFlora › KR › BOISS-SCSC.html
KR Bluestem vs. Little Bluestem
Although I did not originally document ... around our cabin as well as numerous long walking paths. Both grasses recovered quickly from mowing, little bluestem a bit more quickly....
eUpdate
eupdate.agronomy.ksu.edu › article_new › learn-about-the-bluestems-species-in-kansas-346
Learn about the bluestems species in Kansas
July 19, 2019 - It resembles big bluestem, but the stems are bluish in color. Sand bluestem produces long creeping rhizomes and grows taller than 6 feet. The seed head has 2-7 racemes (Figure 2). The grazing value of sand bluestem is good to excellent. Figure 2. Sand bluestem · Little bluestem is a native, ...
Facebook
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What's the difference between little bluestem and ...
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Friends of Eloise Butler
friendsofeloisebutler.org › pages › gentian › olderarticles › nativegrasshome.html
Native Grasses for Home Landscape
Native Grasses for Your Home Landscape · Ornamental grasses, as a landscape element, have become increasingly popular in the home garden. Many of the selections from local nurseries and mail-order catalogs are native varieties but many are not
Edge Of The Woods Native Plant Nursery
edgeofthewoodsnursery.com › home › species spotlight – the native grasses part two
Species Spotlight - The Native Grasses Part Two - Edge Of The Woods Native Plant Nursery, LLC
August 14, 2025 - The caterpillars of several skippers feed on the foliage of Little Bluestem, including Atrytonopsis hianna (Dusted Skipper), Hesperia metea (Cobweb Skipper), Hesperia ottoe (Ottoe Skipper), Hesperia sassacus (Indian Skipper), Nastra lherminier (Swarthy Skipper), and Polites origenes (Crossline Skipper).
Michigan Sportsman
michigan-sportsman.com › home › forums › michigan hunting › wildlife habitat
Switchgrass vrs Big blue stem | Michigan Sportsman Forum
Big Bluestem is a fluffy seed, and must be either planted with a special drill, or mixed thoroughly with an adjunct to allow broadcasting. Switchgrass is a small, hard seed, easily spread with a broadcast seeder. Big Bluestem is tolerant of the herbicide Plateau, which is commonly used to reduce competition in the year of seeding and the following year.
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
wildflower.org › plants › result.php
Andropogon gerardii (Big bluestem) | Native Plants of ...
Water Use: Low , Medium Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade Soil Moisture: Moist CaCO3 Tolerance: High Drought Tolerance: High Soil Description: Acid or calcareous sands, loams, and clays. Conditions Comments: Big Bluestem needs more moisture to look its best than does Little Bluestem ...
Colorado Native Plant Society
conps.org › home › big and little bluestems not so blue in fall
Big and Little Bluestems Not So Blue in Fall - Colorado Native Plant Society
October 30, 2024 - Fine hairs at base are a sure tell – it’s Big bluestem. By the time fall comes, both Big and Little bluestem turn similar colors of bronze-brown, copper, and red.
USDA
nrcs.usda.gov › sites › default › files › 2022-08 › Progressive Forage Grower_Native Warm Season Grasses.pdf pdf
Selection of species and cultivars for forage production
Little bluestem —Little bluestem produces the less forage than the other species mentioned · here. However, it has the advantage of doing well on particularly poor sites and, compared to · other natives, is easily established. Therefore, it also can be a good complement in blends with · ...
USDA
efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov › references › public › SC › Native_Grass_Identification.pdf pdf
Native Grass Identification Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)
that will produce a fairly dense sod if left undisturbed. At maturity, little bluestem is