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Schizachyrium scoparium

Is Schizachyrium scoparium growing in your garden? Record it and all of your plants in Known.

Names

Common Names
Little Bluestem, Prairie Beardgrass

Growth

Height
14-47 inches
Spread
1.5-3 feet
Growth Rate
Moderate growth rate; reaches about 2-4 feet tall in a growing season.

Appearance

Bloom Color
Purplish bronze
Foliage Color
Blue-green foliage, bright green in moist conditions and orangish-red under drought, reddish during dormancy.
Fall Foliage Color
Bronze-orange to copper-red and red to deep purple hues in fall.

Environment

Hardiness Zones
Zones 4-9
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full Sun.
Soil Type
Well-drained sandy soils with dry to medium moisture and low nutrients.
Soil Drainage
Well-drained soil
Soil pH
5.8-7.0 Acidic to neutral

Lifecycle

Lifecycle
Perennial
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Seasons of Interest
Summer, Fall, and Winter
Bloom Time
Summer and Fall

Wildlife

Attracts Wildlife
Bees, butterflies, other pollinators, and birds are attracted, hummingbirds are not consistently indicated across sources.

References

Taxonomy

Taxonomic Rank
Species
Author
(Michx.) Nash
Publication
Fl. S.E. U.S. : 59 (1903)

Superior Taxa

Kingdom
Plantae
Subkingdom
Pteridobiotina
Phylum
Angiosperms
Order
Poales
Family
Poaceae
Genus
Schizachyrium

Synonyms

Andropogon divergens Andropogon flexilis Andropogon halei Andropogon mederensis Andropogon praematurus Andropogon praematurus f. hirtivaginatus Andropogon preamaturus Andropogon purpurascens Andropogon scoparius f. calvescens Andropogon scoparius var. divergens Andropogon scoparius var. frequens Andropogon scoparius var. glaucescens Andropogon scoparius var. polycladus Andropogon scoparius var. septentrionalis Andropogon scoparius var. villosissimus Andropogon scoparius var. virilis Pollinia scoparia Sorghum scoparium Andropogon scoparius var. flexilis Andropogon scoparius f. scoparius Andropogon praematurus f. praematurus Andropogon scoparius f. caesius Andropogon scoparius f. simplicior Andropogon scoparius f. serpentinus Andropogon scoparius subsp. genuinus Schizachyrium scoparium subvar. flexile Andropogon scoparius var. genuinus Andropogon scoparius subvar. flexilis Andropogon scoparius subsp. euscoparius Andropogon scoparius var. multirameus Andropogon neomexicanus Andropogon scoparius Andropogon scoparius var. maritimus Andropogon scoparius var. neomexicanus Schizachyrium acuminatum Schizachyrium neomexicanum Schizachyrium praematurum Schizachyrium praematurum f. hirtivaginatum Schizachyrium scoparium f. calvescens Schizachyrium scoparium f. villosissimum Schizachyrium scoparium f. virile Schizachyrium scoparium subsp. divergens Schizachyrium scoparium subsp. neomexicanum Schizachyrium scoparium var. divergens Schizachyrium scoparium var. frequens Schizachyrium scoparium var. neomexicanum Schizachyrium scoparium var. polycladum Schizachyrium scoparium var. virile Schizachyrium villosissimum Andropogon scoparius var. scoparius Schizachyrium scoparium var. scoparium

References

Taxonomic data from World Flora Online, accessed June 20, 2024