Botanical Name: Schizachyrium scoparium 'The Blues'
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Common Name: The Blues Little Bluestem  
Plant photo of: Schizachyrium scoparium 'The Blues'
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Water Saving Tip:

Apply a layer of mulch around plants to reduce moisture loss.

Choose organic mulches, such as shredded bark, compost or aged sawdust.

  • Anatomy

  • Culture

  • Design

Plant Type

Ground cover, Perennial, Grass

 

Height Range

1-3'

 

Flower Color

Pink

 

Flower Season

Summer, Fall

 

Leaf Color

Blue Green, Grey Green

 

Bark Color

n/a

 

Fruit Color

n/a

 

Fruit Season

n/a

Sun

Full

 

Water

Low

 

Growth Rate

Fast

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular

 

Soil Condition

Average, Poor, Well-drained, Dry

 

Soil pH

Neutral

 

Adverse Factors

n/a

Design Styles

English Cottage, Meadow, Mediterranean, Woodland

 

Accenting Features

Unusual Foliage

 

Seasonal Interest

Summer, Fall

 

Location Uses

Perennial Border, Shrub Border, Parking Strip, Park, With Rocks

 

Special Uses

Erosion Control, Filler, Mass Planting, Lawn Alternative, Naturalizing

 

Attracts Wildlife

n/a

Information by: Stephanie Duer
Photographer: Sunny Border
  • Description

  • Notes

A selection of little bluestem chosen for its upright, erect habit and intense blue foliage, which turns various shades of purple in the fall. Flowers appear in late summer, and are small and delicate. This grass is a prairie native, and mixes will with side-oats grama, blue oats grama, and buffalo grass for a low water lawn or meadow.
Cut back to within 3 to 4 inches of the crown before new growth emerges, late winter of early spring. Plant warm season grasses in late spring to early summer. Divide in the spring after new growth is about 12 inches tall. Parkstrip Value of 4.5 sf.