The Spruce
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Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) Care & Growing Guide
April 25, 2025 - The purplish seed heads, stems, and foliage turn a copper-yellow shade in the fall, meaning it's a great winter-interest ornamental grass. You can plant the seeds in spring or fall, and they establish quickly. Be aware that little bluestem self-seeds freely, so it can become a nuisance in well-manicured landscapes. Little bluestem is a drought-resistant and easy-care ornamental grass.
Wisconsin Horticulture
hort.extension.wisc.edu › articles › little-bluestem-schizachyrium-scoparium
Little Bluestem, Schizachyrium scoparium – Wisconsin Horticulture
Little bluestem, Schizachyrium scoparium, is a native ornamental grass featuring blue green summer foliage and reddish to purple fall color. This article tells how to grow this adaptable grass in your landscape.
Videos
12:01
Schizachryium WorryFree® Chameleon (Little Bluestem) / Magnificent, ...
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Little Bluestem - A small grass that makes a big impact. - YouTube
05:44
Little bluestem: easy to grow and feeds the caterpillars! - YouTube
10:29
Ha Ha Tonka / Exciting NEW Little Bluestem Grass that Positively ...
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Little Bluestem Ha Ha Tonka - Exciting New Ornamental Grass that ...
Do you have seeding instructions for Little Bluestem? Is it difficult to grow from seed or does it establish easily? Please explain the technique for dry stratification for little Bluestem. Thanks so much.
Little Bluestem is easy to grow and establish from seed. The Little Bluestem seed from Prairie Nursery has been stored in cold dry storage, and is ready to plant. Spread the seed evenly over a prepared, weed-free soil or planting medium, and rake/cover with...
prairienursery.com
prairienursery.com › little-bluestem-schizachyrium-scoparium.html
Little Bluestem - Schizachyrium scoparium | Prairie Nursery
What is the seeding rate for a solid stand of Little Bluestem?
The seeding rate for Little Bluestem for a solid stand (of a single species) is:
• 5 oz. per 1000 sq. ft., or
• 12 lb. per acre. When seeding two or more grasses together, divide the seeding rate for each species by the number of species to be planted...
• 5 oz. per 1000 sq. ft., or
• 12 lb. per acre. When seeding two or more grasses together, divide the seeding rate for each species by the number of species to be planted...
prairienursery.com
prairienursery.com › little-bluestem-schizachyrium-scoparium.html
Little Bluestem - Schizachyrium scoparium | Prairie Nursery
Will this grow in clay soil if the soil is well-drained?
Little Bluestem can tolerate a wide range of soil conditions, including well-drained (medium clay) soils. It can take longer to mature on medium clays, but once it is established, is fine. We do not recommended planting Little Bluestem...
prairienursery.com
prairienursery.com › little-bluestem-schizachyrium-scoparium.html
Little Bluestem - Schizachyrium scoparium | Prairie Nursery
Better Homes & Gardens
bhg.com › gardening › plant-dictionary › perennial › little-bluestem
Grow Little Bluestem in Your Prairie-Style Garden
April 9, 2024 - Apply supplemental water to the new plants the first year, being sure that dry soil receives water during the first few growing seasons while the plant develops the deep root structure for which it is known.
Garden Design
gardendesign.com › ornamental-grasses › little-bluestem.html
How to Grow Little Bluestem: A Low-Maintenance Native Grass | Garden Design
March 18, 2025 - Leave the foliage and seed heads of little bluestem standing through winter to provide ornamental interest as well as food and shelter for wildlife. In late winter to early spring, cut the previous year’s growth back to nearly ground level.
Prairie Nursery
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Little Bluestem - Schizachyrium scoparium | Prairie Nursery
October 10, 2020 - Then firm the seed bed by rolling or tamping the surface. Water on a regular schedule but do not over-water. Little Bluestem seed can be sown outdoors in the fall on a scheduled that is aligned with the grasses natural seeding.
Gardening Know How
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Little Bluestem Care: Tips For Growing Little Bluestem Grass
April 21, 2022 - The leaves are flat with slightly hairy bases and tend to roll up at maturity. It is a forage grass in native regions for wild grazers and other animals. Seeds and plugs make growing little bluestem grass in the landscape easy, and they are available where wild plants are sold.
Jvwcd
conservationgardenpark.jvwcd.gov › plants › 113 › little-bluestem
Little Bluestem
Tolerates a wide range of soil conditions. ... Plant Care: Ornamental Grass - Small (showy non-turf grasses that go dormant in winter, under 3' tall): Gather dried seed head stalks in one hand and use hand pruners to cut and remove 2/3 of the total grass height.
Epic Gardening
epicgardening.com › home › how to plant, grow, and care for little bluestem
How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Little Bluestem
October 3, 2023 - Little bluestem is a type of ornamental grass with silvery-blue-green foliage in the summer that turns to gorgeous autumn tones as temperatures cool. This is the perfect plant for bare patches in stubborn flower beds. It doesn’t require much in terms of soil quality, nutrition, and water and thrives where other plants can’t. Too much nutrition is a bad thing for this grass, so you won’t even have to try to care ...
Gardenia
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Schizachyrium scoparium (Little Bluestem)
Uses: Little Bluestem is used for natural landscaping, erosion control on banks and slopes, and as a component in wildflower gardens and prairie restorations. It’s also popular in ornamental gardens for its seasonal color changes. Excellent choice for drought-prone areas, this architectural grass is perfect for beds and borders, rock gardens, and city or cottage gardens.
McKay Nursery
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Shop Little Bluestem Grass - Schizachyrium scoparium | McKay Nursery
See our “Videos” tab for an instructional video on when and how to prune ornamental grasses.
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
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Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin
It readily reseeds so little bluestem is not recommended for small gardens. Little bluestem is tolerant of a wide range of soils but will not tolerate wetlands or sub-irrigated sites. Use Ornamental: Fall conspicuous, Grows in clumps, Accent Use Wildlife: Graze, Cover, Nesting material, Seeds-Small mammals, Seeds-granivorous birds.
Arbor Valley Nursery
arborvalleynursery.com › plants › the-blues-little-bluestem-grass
The Blues Little Bluestem Grass - Plant Guide
If you have growing issues with slopes or need help with erosion, this grass stabilizes those areas. It can recapture the soil’s structure to provide erosion control. The deep roots of the grass are the perfect addition to those areas with drought conditions. The Blues Little bluestem grass excels in any space in your landscape.
Grow Native!
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Little Bluestem - Grow Native!
May 23, 2025 - A small, non-spreading, clump-forming grass with blue-green leaves that turn reddish orange in the fall. Fluffy silver seedheads are ornamental through winter. Host plant for larvae of a number of […]
Hoffman Nursery
hoffmannursery.com › schizachyrium
Dig deeper into Little Bluestem, Schizachyrium
It’s easy-care, unfussy, and beautiful. That's part of why the Perennial Plant Association (PPA) named Schizachyrium scoparium and cultivars the 2022 Perennial Plant of the Year®. You can read more about its selection in our blog post. The foliage of Little Bluestem adds a kaleidoscope of pastel colors in summer and coppery tones in fall. It's a mostly upright bunch grass, with basal foliage emerging in mid- to late spring.
North Carolina Extension Gardener
plants.ces.ncsu.edu › plants › schizachyrium-scoparium
Schizachyrium scoparium (Little Bluestem, Prairie Beardgrass, Prairie Beard Grass) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
The leaves and stems of this grass frequently have a bluish cast in summer, while the fall color is a very warm copper that does not fade throughout winter. Purplish bronze seed heads and yellow-orange leaves make for great fall interest in the landscape. It is highly resistant to browsing by deer. As well as providing year-round cover for wildlife, little bluestem is a larval host plant to various butterflies and moths making it a great choice for a pollinator garden.
Plant Select
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A grass worthy of applause – Standing Ovation little bluestem | Plant Select
May 11, 2016 - Standing Ovation little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Standing Ovation’PP25,202) Ornamental Grass Size: 2-3′ tall x 15-18ʺ wide Blooms: Late summer to fall Sun: Full sun Water: Dry to xeric Hardiness: USDA zones 3-8 Culture: Adaptable
Patuxent Nursery
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Little Bluestem - Patuxent Nursery
Little Bluestem
Resilient ornamental grass with silvery-blue foliage that turns copper-orange in fall. Thrives in full sun, tolerates drought, and supports biodiversity. Ideal for erosion control, meadows, and sustainable landscapes with minimal maintenance required.
Price US$12.99
Northern Wildflowers
northernwildflowers.ca › products › little-bluestem
Little Bluestem – Northern Wildflowers
Little Bluestem
Perennial
3-6 feet tall
Full Sun to Part Shade
Blooms September- October
Dry to Medium Site
Approx. 90 seeds per pack, covers 7.5 ft²
Zones 3-9
Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) is a an important native prairie habitat grass species, that is popular in restoration and ornamental applications. Little Bluestem forms blue-green clumps in the summer and in the fall it turns beautiful shades of red and copper, which remain throughout the winter. Little Bluestem has very high value for wildlife, its seed are eaten by songbirds and it is the host plant of several butterflies including the D
Price $4.00
Outsidepride
outsidepride.com › seed › native-grass-seed › bluestem-little-native-grass-seed.html
Little Bluestem Native Prairie Grass & Ornamental Xeriscape Grass Seed
Sowing Rate: 8 - 12 PLS lbs per acre or 1/2 - 1 PLS lb per 1000 square feet for ornamental plantings. ... Little Bluestem is a versatile and drought-tolerant native grass, widely used in ornamental landscaping, especially in xeriscapes. This resilient bunch grass, which thrives in well-drained, medium to dry soils, showcases striking blue-green foliage that turns a vibrant red in fall, topped with fluffy silvery-white seed stalks.
Prairie Moon Nursery
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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 US$21.00