USDA
fs.usda.gov › wildflowers › plant-of-the-week › andropogon_gerardii.shtml
Big Bluestem
The rhizomes are short and scaly ... heads often have three spikelets that look like a turkey foot. “Big blue” as it is commonly called is a climax prairie species....
North Carolina Extension Gardener
plants.ces.ncsu.edu › plants › andropogon-gerardii
Andropogon gerardii (Big Bluestem, Bluestem, Broomsedge, Turkey Foot) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
The flower's inflorescence appears from July to October, opens red and darkens with age, not very showy, and is forked like a turkey's foot.
Videos
17:13
How to Identify Big Bluestem Seedlings in a First Year Planting ...
How to Identify Big Bluestem - Grasses at a Glance - YouTube
00:47
Big Bluestem Native Grass Plugs (Andropogon gerardii 'Kaw') - YouTube
07:07
Native Grass Plantings In Old Sand Pit - Big Bluestem, Little ...
01:24
Identifying Big Bluestem - YouTube
Prairie Moon Nursery
prairiemoon.com › home › seeds › andropogon gerardii
Andropogon gerardii Big Bluestem | Prairie Moon Nursery
Andropogon gerardii
Big Bluestem is a warm season grass; it actively grows during the summer when soil temperatures are warm. It is a big plant, getting over six feet tall in most situations. In a landscape it can be used as an accent, but it can be aggressive so is not recommended for small spaces. It has great fall color in the range of gold and pink. Big Bluestem is the host to many insects, including Northern Pearly-eye, Common-Wood Nymph, Ottoe Skipper, Cobweb Skipper, Dusted Skipper, Delaware Skipper, Arogos Skipper, and Indian Skipper. This well-known prairie staple plays an extremely important role in
Price $21.00
Missouri Department of Conservation
mdc.mo.gov › discover-nature › field-guide › big-bluestem
Big Bluestem | Missouri Department of Conservation
Big bluestem's young flowering stalks and leaf sheaths typically have a bluish cast and are sometimes whitish-waxy (glaucous).
species of plant
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Andropogon_gerardi
Andropogon gerardi - Wikipedia
June 10, 2025 - Big bluestem blooms in the summer and seeds into the fall. The inflorescence (cluster of flowers) is a raceme of two to six, most commonly three, narrow spike-like racemes alternately arranged along the top of the stem.
Minnesota Wildflowers
minnesotawildflowers.info › grass-sedge-rush › big-bluestem
Andropogon gerardii (Big Bluestem): Minnesota Wildflowers
Photos and information about Minnesota flora - Big Bluestem: tall grass with 2 to 6 slender, 2 to 4-inch long spikes, paired spikelets 3/8 inch long, 1 of which is awned
Missouri Botanical Garden
missouribotanicalgarden.org › PlantFinder › PlantFinderDetails.aspx
Andropogon gerardi - Plant Finder
Andropogon gerardii, commonly called big bluestem grass, is a tall, Missouri native, perennial, warm season grass that was the dominant grass of the tallgrass prairie which once covered large parts of the Midwest. It may be grown as an ornamental grass because of its attractive foliage which changes color seasonally, its good architectural height and its interesting flower...
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
wildflower.org › plants › result.php
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin
Big Bluestem is the star component of the "Big Four" native grass species that characterize the tallgrass prairies of central North America (the other three are Indiangrass [Sorghastrum nutans], Switchgrass [Panicum virgatum], and Little Bluestem [Schizachyrium scoparium]).
Minnesota Board of Water & Soil Resources
bwsr.state.mn.us › sites › default › files › 2023-10 › featured_plant_november_2023_big_bluestem.pdf pdf
November 2023 Featured Plant: Big bluestem
flower in July · and August, and then turn · bronze. Mature · spikes are · hairy between · spikelets. SIMILAR · SPECIES: Sand · bluestem · (Andropogon · hallii), native to · southwestern · Minnesota · and Western · states, has · hairier spikes · and grayer, waxier leaves.
Native Plant Trust
plantfinder.nativeplanttrust.org › plant › Andropogon-gerardii
big bluestem Andropogon gerardii from New England Wild Flower Society
This tall, hardy warm-season bunchgrass yields silver tufts of seeds in the later summer, which contrast wonderfully with its golden fall foliage. Perfect for winter interest, big bluestem also serves as host to at least eleven native butterflies ...
Britannica
britannica.com › plant › big-bluestem
Big bluestem | plant | Britannica
Other articles where big bluestem ... tallgrass prairie. It is sometimes known as turkeyfoot, in reference to its forked flower cluster, and is a good hay and pasture plant....
Prairie Nursery
prairienursery.com › big-bluestem-andropogon-gerardii.html
Big Bluestem - Andropogon gerardii | Prairie Nursery
February 8, 2021 - A leading player in the Midwestern tallgrass prairie, Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) is a warm season grass with ornamental quailites fit for the garden and landscape. The remarkable foliage changes color from green to blue-green in summer, ...
The Spruce
thespruce.com › big-bluestem-plant-profile-4845878
Big Bluestem Is a Native Grass That Grows in Tough Conditions
August 28, 2023 - This grass adds a pop of color to a landscape all year round—transitioning from bright green in the spring, to a blue-green in the summer, and a fiery copper-red in the fall months. When it flowers, it boasts small purple or yellow spikelets.
Western Native Seed
westernnativeseed.com › plant guides › andgerpg.pdf pdf
BIG BLUESTEM
General: Grass Family (Poaceae). Big bluestem is a · perennial warm-season grass. It can be distinguished · from other warm-season grasses by blue coloration at · the base of the culm and purplish, 3-parted flower
Gardenia
gardenia.net › home › plants › andropogon gerardii (big bluestem)
Andropogon gerardii (Big Bluestem)
Elegant tall flowering stems rise in late summer above the foliage bearing glossy, deep purple, 3-parted, finger-like flower clusters, resembling turkey feet (hence the common name).
Arbor Valley Nursery
arborvalleynursery.com › plants › big-bluestem
Big Bluestem - Plant Guide
By late summer, the grass has developed an upright form with bluish-green foliage and purplish flowers. This native grass does not disappoint in the fall. Your landscape comes alive with shades of orange and red.
Big Bluestem
bigbluestemfarm.com
Big Bluestem | flower farm | Lawrence, KS, USA
Big Bluestem is a small farm growing specialty cut flowers in Lawrence, KS. The farm was started in 2023 and we are excited to be growing for our third season in 2025!
Address 1551 North 1550 Road, 66046-8203, Lawrence
JNI Knowledgebase
kb.jniplants.com › home › knowledgebase › big bluestem
Big Bluestem | Johnson's Nursery | KB
July 23, 2025 - Big Bluestem forms large clumps with blue-green to silvery-blue foliage that changes to attractive shades of bronze and reddish-copper with the first frost. In late August purplish flower spikes emerge producing distinctive three-parted seed heads.
GrowVeg
growveg.com › plants › us-and-canada › how-to-grow-big-bluestem
Big Bluestem Grow Guide
Big bluestem is native to much of eastern North America, and it is one of the dominant prairie grasses of the Midwest. Taller and showier than other native grasses, big bluestem makes a great backdrop for smaller wildflowers. Leaves of the species ...