Common Name: Little Bluestem

Latin Name: Schizachyrium scoparium

Height: 3 feet tall

Duration: Perennial

Bloom Color: Green, Blue-green

Bloom Time: July - October

Water Use: Low

Soil: Medium, Medium-dry, Dry. Well-drained soils: sandy, sandy loam, medium loam, clay loam, clay, limestone-based.

Light Requirement: Full Sun, Part Shade

Spreads via seeds

Host Plant: Dusted Skipper, Cobweb Skipper, Ottoe Skipper, Indian Skipper, Swarthy Skipper, and the Crossline Skipper caterpillars.

Pollinators: Mainly pollinated by wind, but can be pollinated by bees.

Other Information:  Drought tolerant. Many other wildlife depend on prairie grasses like little bluestem for food and habitat, so they are an important part of a native garden. Songbirds and small mammals eat the seeds, and queen bumblebees use the base of the plant for nesting over winter. Native grasses add structure and a natural mulch to the garden.