Little bluestem offers gardeners an authentic tallgrass prairie plant, with a size and color made for home landscapes. Learn where and how to plant it and make it part of your prairie or perennial garden. This ornamental bunchgrass is native across eastern North America. Plants and seed are available regionally so choose from these for plants that are adapted to your growing season and soil and light conditions.
Little bluestem, a warm-season grass, greens up during the warmth of late spring and benefits when we leave it standing into the winter, before cutting down to above the crown in late winter or early spring. This practice gives native insects time to emerge from their winter habitat in the garden. The crimson fall color is representative of the diverse prairie where the range of colors is remarkable. Finding little bluestem plants in a prairie is always a happy surprise.
Little Bluestem Overview
Where to Plant Little Bluestem
Plant little bluestem in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 9. Use in the center or front of garden beds and naturalized areas. This prairie plant grows in sunny areas and in loam and sandy soils. The plant will flop in rich soils and in shade or when shaded by taller plants. It does poorly in heavy clay soil. It responds well to moisture when first planted and when conditions are dry but will not thrive in wet soils.
Use little bluestem in perennial and prairie gardens, where the gardener wishes to grow short and medium height plants. When adding taller plants, place them so they will not create shade or crowd shorter species. Use large groups of at least three to seven plants, depending on the size of the garden. Planted 18 inches apart in drifts, little bluestem add beauty to the garden with their blue-green flattened bases of stems. The foliage and flowers turn reddish to yellowish orange in the fall. The seedheads have the appearance of an old man’s beard when planted in groups. The flowers add beauty to bouquets. The plant is used to restore damaged wilderness.
How and When to Plant Little Bluestem
Little bluestem is a hardy native grass that may be planted whenever the ground is workable, and the plants are available. Nursery-grown transplants of little bluestem are planted in the spring. Native plants show growth later than some garden plants, so garden centers may not have them in the spring or early summer. Don't be surprised by the bedraggled appearance of the container-grown plants. Once planted in deep soil, they will pick up over the growing season.
Plant at the depth grown in the pots, and dig the hole at least twice the diameter of the nursery pot. Place the plant in the center of the hole and backfill with original soil. Tamp down the soil and water immediately to remove any air pockets. Continue watering the new plant regularly in the absence of frequent rain until you see new vigorous growth.
Space plants 12-18 inches apart if you want to plant little bluestem in groups.
Care Tips
Like many native species, little bluestem is slow to start but once it has made itself at home, it requires very little maintenance.
Light
As undemanding as it is to grow little bluestem, a location in full sun is a must.
Soil and Water
Little bluestem is adaptable to sand and loam soils and drought tolerant. Amend clay soils to allow them to drain well.
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.
Temperature and Humidity
This ornamental grass grows in a wide geographical range in Zones 3-10. It tolerates hot summers, high humidity, and cold winters. Despite its remarkable adaptability, try to find a nursery or seed company that sells a little bluestem ecotype (genetically distinct geographic variety) native to your area, as it is the best adapted to your local climate.
Fertilizer
Fertilizing is minimal if it’s necessary at all. If the soil is rich, little bluestem won’t need fertilizer at all. If the soil is poor, working a 2-inch layer of compost into the soil around the plants in the spring is all it takes.
Pruning
Leave this perennial grass in the garden through winter where it will serve as a food source and shelter for wildlife. In early spring use hedge shears to cut it back to about three inches above the soil. Be patient; little bluestem won't send up new foliage until late spring.
Potting and Repotting Little Bluestem
The best effect of little bluestem is achieved in the landscape but because of its relatively small size compared to other ornamental grasses, it is suitable to be grown in containers.
Select a container with large drainage holes that is at least 12 inches wide and deep to accommodate its deep root. Fill it with a combination of well-draining potting soil and compost.
Potted little bluestem needs regular watering because the soil in containers heats up more and dries out much faster than garden soil.
Although little bluestem is winter-hardy in areas with subzero winters, growing it in a pot exposes its roots to frost and freeze-and-thaw cycles. The pots should remain outdoors during the winter, but you need to protect the roots by burying the pot in the ground or insulating the roots and placing the pot in a second, larger pot to create a planting silo.
Pests and Problems
Other than occasional foliar diseases such as rust or leaf spot, little bluestem is not bothered by any serious pests or diseases. It is rarely browsed by deer.
How to Propagate Little Bluestem
The clumps of little bluestem remain small compared to other ornamental grasses that warrant division. For little bluestem, propagation from seeds is usually the best way to make more plants.
To get a head start on the growing season, you can start the seeds indoors in the early spring. Fill seedling trays with damp potting mix and plant the seeds no deeper than ¼ inch. Keep the soil moist but not soggy and maintain a room temperature around 70 degrees F. Once the seeds have germinated, provide a strong light source. Gradually harden off the seedings before planting them outside in the late spring.
To seed a larger area, make sure the soil is free of weeds and debris. Broadcast the seeds (about 25 to 30 per square foot) in mid- to late spring, about ¼ inch deep. Because the seeds are fluffy, it is recommended to mix them with a bulking agent such as kitty litter or vermiculate before scattering them. Gently spray the area with a hose immediately afterwards and repeat for the next few days if there is not rain.
Types of Little Bluestem
'Blaze'
The special characteristic of this Schizachyrium scoparium cultivar is vivid red fall foliage. Some of the color persists through the winter. The grass grows 2 to 3 feet tall with an upright growth habit.
'Itasca'
This variety is an ecotype native to Minnesota. It grows up to 4 feet tall with roots that grow up to twice times as deep. It blooms from August through October and develops purple seedheads.
'The Blues'
The stunning blue foliage accented by red stems and the burgundy-red fall color make this 2- to 4-feet tall variety an all-season eye-catcher.
Little Bluestem Companion Plants
Culver’s Root
This tall, stately native prairie plant bears long spikes of densely clustered flowers for several weeks in midsummer. The white, lavender, or blue blossoms of Culver's root (Veronicastrum virginicum) are surrounded by dark-green lance-shaped leaves whorled around the stem. It attracts butterflies and is especially popular with sweat bees, small carpenter bees, bumble bees, and honeybees. Zone 3-9
Butterfly Weed
KRITSADA PANICHGUL
Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is a vital part of native habitat for the monarch butterfly. The orange flower adds brightness to the garden throughout the summer. Zones 3-10
Prairie Dropseed
BOB STEFKO
Planted in small groups or in masses, prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) also brings a hint of the prairie to your garden. With a mounding habit, the billowy light green leaves in summer also add a soft texture to the landscape. The leaves turn golden or orange in fall, then change to coppery brown in winter. Zone 3-9
Garden Plans for Little Bluestem
Prairie Garden
This stunning prairie garden design is chockful of blooming perennials and ornamental grasses indigenous to the Midwest. Their blossoms and nutritious seeds draw pollinators, birds, and other wildlife. Like a true prairie, this garden plan needs full sun. And while the plants will require extra water for the first year to help establish themselves, they'll usually survive on what nature provides after that.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is little bluestem invasive?Over time, little bluestem spreads but it is not invasive like plant species that were introduced from other continents—those choke out native plant populations and have no benefits for native wildlife. Just because the grass self-seeds to form a dense carpet (which suppresses weeds, including truly invasive species) does not make it an invasive plant.
Over time, little bluestem spreads but it is not invasive like plant species that were introduced from other continents—those choke out native plant populations and have no benefits for native wildlife. Just because the grass self-seeds to form a dense carpet (which suppresses weeds, including truly invasive species) does not make it an invasive plant.
- Why is little bluestem grass important?It has a high wildlife value. Little bluestem is one of the best grasses for nesting and roosting of birds. Its seeds are eaten by songbirds and gamebirds. The grass is the larval host for several skipper butterfly species.
It has a high wildlife value. Little bluestem is one of the best grasses for nesting and roosting of birds. Its seeds are eaten by songbirds and gamebirds. The grass is the larval host for several skipper butterfly species.
- How long does it take for little bluestem to germinate?At temperatures between 70 and 85 degrees F, the seeds germinate in 1 to 3 weeks, provided the soil is kept evenly moist.
At temperatures between 70 and 85 degrees F, the seeds germinate in 1 to 3 weeks, provided the soil is kept evenly moist.