Schizachyrium scoparium 'Prairie Blues'

Product Info

Little Bluestem 'Prairie Blues' (Schizachyrium scoparium)
Grass Family

Little Bluestem is the perfect companion plant to any sunny pollinator garden. The texture and color of the leaves work well with many wildflowers–Butterfly Milkweed, Purple Coneflower, Blazing Stars, and Baptisias. It can also provide much needed support and root competition to help other plants in the garden stay upright and sturdy. Late summer into fall is where this grass really shines as it starts to take on more and more shades of purple, orange and red. Little Bluestem performs best in full sun and lean soil–too much fertilizer or moisture will promote flopping and rotting. Prairie Blues is a seed grown cultivar that is shorter and more colorful than the straight species.

Blooms: Bronze-purple, 6+weeks, Aug…
Leaves: Steel blue, with purple and orange tones developing into fall
Height: 2-3’
Space: 1-2’
Soil: Average-dry, appreciated poor soil
Exposure:  Full sun- Part sun
Fauna: High value plant, host to multiple species of butterflies & moths, food for many insects, seeds for birds and other small animals
Seeds:  Downy white seeds produced in late fall look great all winter
Deer Resistance: High
Zone: 3-9
Native Status: NC native, common across the state
Provenance: Unknown, seed grown