''Schizachyrium scoparium'', commonly known as little bluestem or beard grass, is a species of

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

prairie Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...

grass Poaceae ( ), also called Gramineae ( ), is a large and nearly ubiquitous family (biology), family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos, the grasses of natural grassland and spe ...

native to most of the contiguous United States (except California, Nevada, and Oregon) as well as a small area north of the Canada–US border and northern Mexico. It is most common in the

Midwestern The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...

s and is one of the most abundant native plants in Texas grasslands. Little bluestem is a

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

bunchgrass Tussock grasses or bunch grasses are a group of grass species in the family Poaceae. They usually grow as singular plants in clumps, tufts, hummocks, or bunches, rather than forming a sod or lawn, in meadows, grasslands, and prairies. As perennia ...

and is prominent in

tallgrass prairie The tallgrass prairie is an ecosystem native to central North America. Historically, natural and Historical ecology#Anthropogenic fire, anthropogenic fire, as well as grazing by large mammals (primarily bison) provided periodic disturbances to th ...

, along with

big bluestem ''Andropogon gerardi'', commonly known as big bluestem, is a species of tall grass native to much of the Great Plains and grassland regions of central and eastern North America. It is also known as tall bluestem, bluejoint, and turkeyfoot. Taxon ...

(''Andropogon gerardi''),

indiangrass ''Sorghastrum nutans'', known as Indiangrass, is a North American prairie grass found in the United States and Canada, especially in the Great Plains and tallgrass prairies. It is sometimes called Indian grass, yellow Indian-grass, or wood gras ...

(''Sorghastrum nutans'') and

switchgrass ''Panicum virgatum'', commonly known as switchgrass, is a perennial warm season bunchgrass native to North America, where it occurs naturally from 55th parallel north, 55°N latitude in Canada southwards into the United States and Mexico. Switch ...

(''Panicum virgatum''). It is a warm-season species, meaning it employs the C₄ photosynthetic pathway.

Description

Little bluestem grows to become an upright, roundish mound of soft, bluish-green or grayish-green blades in May and June that is about two to three feet high. In July, it initiates flowering stalks, which reach four to five feet in height. In fall, it displays a coppery or mostly orange color with tints of red or purple. Sometimes it displays in some places, as in sandy soils, a redder fall color. It becomes a more orangish-bronze in winter until early spring, when it becomes more tan. Little bluestem stems tiller within individual plants. Each tiller hierarchy is separated by age, starting from the youngest in the middle pushing the oldest tillers out to the periphery.

Subdivisions

One

variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

, var. ''littorale'', is native to the eastern and southern coastal strip of the United States, as well as the shores of the

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes spanning the Canada–United States border. The five lakes are Lake Superior, Superior, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Lake Huron, H ...

. It is adapted to

sand dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, flat ...

habitat, and is sometimes considered a separate species, ''S. littorale''.

Ecology

Little bluestem is drought tolerant, and is a larval host to the

cobweb skipper ''Hesperia metea'', the cobweb skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It has a scattered distribution in the United States from southern Maine west to Wisconsin, south to central Georgia, the Gulf States and central Texas. The wings ...

, common wood nymph,

crossline skipper ''Polites origenes'', the crossline skipper,
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Dakota skipper ''Hesperia dacotae'', the Dakota skipper, is a small to medium-sized North American butterfly. It has a wingspan of approximately one inch and the antennae form a hook. The male's wings are a tawny-orange to brown on the forewings with a prominen ...

dusted skipper ''Atrytonopsis hianna'', the dusted skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in the United States from eastern Wyoming, central Colorado, northern New Mexico and central Texas east to New Hampshire and Massachusetts, south t ...

, Indian skipper,

Leonard's skipper ''Hesperia leonardus'', the Leonard's skipper,Leonard's Skipper
Butterflies of Canada ...

Ottoe skipper ''Hesperia ottoe'', the Ottoe skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in the central U.S. but has been recorded in Canada only in a small area of southern Manitoba.swarthy skipper ''Nastra lherminier'', the swarthy skipper, is a species of grass skipper in the butterfly family Hesperiidae Skippers are a group of butterflies placed in the family Hesperiidae within the order Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies). They were ...

.The Xerces Society (2016), ''Gardening for Butterflies: How You Can Attract and Protect Beautiful, Beneficial Insects'', Timber Press. Image:Schizachyrium scoparium - JBM.jpg Image:Little_Bluestem.jpg Image:SchizachyriumScoparium.jpg

Cultivation

It is recommended for

USDA hardiness zones A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most widely ...

3 to 10. The plant grows best in full sun and on well-drained

soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, water, and organisms that together support the life of plants and soil organisms. Some scientific definitions distinguish dirt from ''soil'' by re ...

s. It can be dug up and divided in spring, as many other perennials, for propagation or to reduce the size of an old, big plant. It can be burned in late winter or early spring in a prairie or meadow before new growth, like many American prairie grasses (big bluestem, Indian-grass, and switchgrass), which burn quickly and cleanly.

Cultivars

A number of

cultivar A cultivar is a kind of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and which retains those traits when Plant propagation, propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root a ...

s have been developed. 'Carousel' is a compact form with especially good fall color developed by Chicagoland Grows. 'The Blues' is a selection that has bluer foliage. 'Standing Ovation' is a tight, upright form with bluer and thicker blades and sturdier stems.

In culture

Little bluestem is the official state grass of

Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...

and

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

References

External links

*
Missouri Botanical Garden's Kemper Center for Home GardeningLittle Bluestem on Kansas Native Plant Society
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3013856 scoparium Bunchgrasses of North America Warm-season grasses of North America Garden plants of North America Grasses of the United States Flora of the Western United States Flora of the Eastern United States Native grasses of the Great Plains region Flora of the United States Grasses of Canada Flora of the Canadian Prairies Plants described in 1903 Flora without expected TNC conservation status