Gardening Ornamental grass

THE 2022 PERENNIAL PLANT OF THE YEAR

Little Bluestem

Schizachyrium scoparium and cultivars

Little bluestem ‘Standing Ovation’
Little bluestem ‘Standing Ovation’ (Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Standing Ovation’) in summer. Photo: Hoffmann Nursery.

Little bluestem is a tough and dependable clumping deciduous grass. Native to a broad swath of North America, it was one of the dominant grasses of the vast tallgrass prairies.

In average to lean, well-drained soils, stems will remain upright. However, it can flop easily if conditions are too rich or moist. Cultivars have been selected for shorter plants, enhanced leaf colors, and stronger stems.

Little bluestem ‘Standing Ovation’
Little bluestem ‘Standing Ovation’(Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Standing Ovation’) taking on its fall coloration. Photo: Tony Post

Summer through fall, the slender leaves and stems of little bluestem are an ever-changing kaleidoscope of gray-green, blue, pink, purple, copper, mahogany, red, and orange tones. Wispy silver-white seed heads sparkle in autumn sunlight and coppery brown leaves persist through winter.

It blends well with many perennials. That includes asters, sedums, coneflowers, and other grasses.

Native grasses play their part in the pollinator story too. Little bluestem is a larval host for a variety of butterflies and moths. Among these are the crossline skipper (Polites origenes), Dakota skipper (Hesperia dacotae), and Ottoe skipper (Hesperia ottoe).

Scoparium, little bluestem’s botanical epithet, means “like a broom,” an accurate description of its overall shape.

Little bluestem’s spikiness complements native and non-native perennials alike. An easy fit for mass plantings or meadows, it is just as brilliant in traditional borders, gravel gardens, and green roofs. Perfect partners are recent Perennial Plant of the Year winners. This includes such plants as lesser catmint (Calamintha nepeta nepeta), butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), Hummel’s betony (Stachys ‘Hummelo’) and ‘Millenium’ allium (Allium ‘Millenium’).

Fascinating Fact

Big bluestem
Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii). Photo: T.Voekler, Wikimedia Commons

Of course, with a name like “little bluestem,” you can’t help wonder if there isn’t a big bluestem … and there is, of course. Although the two are no longer considered to belong to the same genus, big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) is likewise a grass of the tall prairie and also available as an ornamental grass, with several cultivars on the market. It tends to be a taller plant than little bluestem and grows under much the same conditions.

Basic Care

Hardiness: USDA Zones 3 to 9 (AgCan zones 4 to 9); AHS Heat Zones 7-1.
Light: Full sun
Size: 24–48 inches (60–120 cm) tall and 18–24 inches (45–60 cm) wide; cultivar sizes vary
Native Range: Eastern North America, from Alberta to Quebec south to Arizona and Florida
Soil: Dry to medium, well-drained soils. Adaptable to a range of conditions such as clay and poor soils. Does not like overly wet conditions.
Watering: Water well, keeping the soil relatively moist, as the plant settles in. Once established, grow it on the dry side. Plus, it has good drought resistance once established. Note too that it overwinters best when you keep it a bit dry.
Fertilizer: This plant isn’t a heavy feeder. Fertilize at a low to moderate rates. Excess nitrogen can lead to flopping.
Maintenance: Low-maintenance perennial grass. Cut back in late winter to early spring. Tolerant of heat and humidity.
Pests: Has few pest issues; scout for aphids and spider mites. Overwatering and too much nitrogen can increase the probability of root zone and foliar pathogens
Behavior: It’’s a clump-forming grass; clumps become denser and wider over time, but it doesn’t produce invasive offsets. It can, however, self-sow to a certain degree.
Propagation: The straight species and a few cultivars can be grown from seed. All can be grown from division and stem cuttings. Commercially, in vitro culture is popular as well. Do note that most cultivars are vegetatively propagated and patent-protected.

Cultivars

There are several cultivars. Most have either improved summer or fall coloration and/or a denser, more compact, more upright growth habit. All are hardy to USDA zone 3. Here are a few:

LIttle bluestem ‘Blue Heaven’ with blue leaves.
LIttle bluestem ‘Blue Heaven’. Photo: Hoffmann Nursery.

S. scoparium ‘Blue Heaven’: A tall but sturdy variety. It has purple-highlighted steel blue foliage in summer and a mix of purple, blue, red, pink, burgundy, and orange pigments in the fall. Glossy purple panicles turning into fluffy tan seed heads. 24–48inches × 18–24 inches (60–120 cm × 45–60 cm).

Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Carousel’.
Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Carousel’. Photo: Stonehouse Nursery

S. scoparium ‘Carousel’: Broad, basketlike base for a mounded effect. Blue-green leaves with pinkish midsummer highlights and a range of fall colors: copper, pink and mahogany. Sturdily upright, even in snow. 32 inches × 18 inches (80 cm × 45 cm).

Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Chameleon’ with variegated leaves.
Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Chameleon’ at various seasons. Photo: Concept Plants BV®

S. scoparium ‘Chameleon’: Eye-catching variegated little blue stem, green and white in early summer, purplish red and pink in fall. Very compact 24 inches × 18–24 inches (60–120 cm × 45–60 cm).

Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Jazz’, a dwarf variety.
Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Jazz’. Photo: Richard Hawke

S. scoparium ‘Jazz’: Very compact, variety that doesn’t flop under less than ideal conditions. Steel blue leaves blushing reddish bronze in fall. 24 inches × 18 inches (60 cm × 45 cm).

Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Prairie Blues’
Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Prairie Blues’. Photo: Hoffmann Nursery.

S. scoparium ‘Prairie Blues’: Seed selection of a tall, but sturdy clone. Blue-gray summer foliage, turning reddish in fall. Downy white seed heads. 36–60inches × 18–24 inches (90–150 cm × 45–60 cm).

S. scoparium ‘Standing Ovation’ (Illustrated at beginning of article): Very strong leaves and stems resist flopping, even under high winds and pounding rain. Blue-green summer leaves picking up greens, pinks and purples. Reddish to orange fall coloration. 36–48 inches × 20–26 inches (90–120 cm × 50–70 cm).

Schizachyrium scoparium ‘The Blues’.
Schizachyrium scoparium ‘The Blues’: as it transitions into fall. Photo: Xera Plants

S. scoparium ‘The Blues’: The most widely available cultivar. Blue foliage with red stems, picking up shades of blue, purple and orange as fall approaches. Can be floppy in moist soil or partial shade or when overfertilized. 32–36inches × 24–26 inches (80–90 cm × 60–70 cm).

Article derived from the website of the Perennial Plant Association, a trade association composed of growers, retailers, landscape designers and contractors, educators, and others that are professionally involved in the herbaceous perennial industry.

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Garden writer and blogger, author of 65 gardening books, lecturer and communicator, the Laidback Gardener, Larry Hodgson, passed away in October 2022. Known for his great generosity, his thoroughness and his sense of humor, he reached several generations of amateur and professional gardeners over his 40-year career. Thanks to his son, Mathieu Hodgson, and a team of contributors, laidbackgardener.blog will continue its mission of demystifying gardening and making it more accessible to all.

3 comments on “THE 2022 PERENNIAL PLANT OF THE YEAR

  1. Sherilynne DeMaio

    I wonder how these would perform in dry southern California. I’m planning a no-lawn front yard and looking for perennials that can handle our often drought-like conditions.

  2. I think this type of grass may cause grass-awns in dog? The sharp seeds that burrow into dog’s paws? May be pretty but dangerous for our companions.

  3. Looks like wild broom straw to me.

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