Little Bluestem

Schizachyrium scoparium

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  • Common name
    Little Bluestem
  • Latin name
    Schizachyrium scoparium
  • Plant type
    perennial
  • Flower color
    Purplish-bronze flower spikes
  • Bloom time
    Late summer through fall
  • Height
    12-36"
  • Chelsea chop
    Yes
  • Light requirements
    Requires full sun. It is highly shade-intolerant; too much shade or overly rich soil causes its stiff stems to lose their structure and flop over.
  • Moisture
    Average to dry soils
  • Native to Ontario
    Yes
  • Locally native
    Yes
  • Deer resistant
    Yes
  • Ecological benefit
    Larval host plant for several butterfly species. Its fuzzy, high-energy seed heads remain standing high above the snow line through the winter. This provides a vital winter food supply for native songbirds like juncos, finches, and various sparrows.
  • Notes
    Beyond its ecological metrics, it is loved for its dramatic, shifting color palette. It emerges a striking steel-blue or silver-green in spring, and shifts into a breathtaking mosaic of copper, blazing orange, and burgundy-red after the autumn frosts arrive
  • Picture
    Little Bluestem