Schizachyrium ‘Prairie Blues’ 1 Gal

Little Bluestem - Prairie Blues
Schizachyrium scoparium 

If you've got full sunlight in your garden, it deserves some Little Bluestems!

These striking beauties were once one of the top dominant grasses in the USA, feeding herbivores across the country such as bison, elk, and our now extinct camels (yes! camels! also giant sloths), providing nutrtitous food and ideal nesting materials for birds, and as host plants for pollinators. 

Highly ornamental, these WNC Native grasses are prized by gardeners for beautiful blue-gray foliage color with an upright habit and clumping form. 'Prairie Blues' grasses are extra blue, and in fall feature silvery-white seed heads on rosy-orange foliage.

Extremely low maintenance, these attractive grasses have strong root systems, and are great for slope stabilization and erosion issues generally. They are adapted to average to drier soils, and also low fertility soils. 

Once established, they are heat and drought resistant. Little Bluestems can also handle urban conditions, and can be planted near Black Walnut trees. They are extremely resistant to whatever deer dish out.

Extremely versatile use Little Bluestems in: butterfly gardens, cottage gardens, drought tolerant / xeriscape gardens, native gardens, pollinator gardens, rain gardens, and more. They are stunning mixed with Achillea (Yarrow), ( Echinacea (Coneflowers), Helianthus (Sunflowers), and more.

🦬- Little Bluestem are a critical food resource for Bison, which were once found across NC.
🦌- Elk also enjoy Little Bluestem - there's now some back in WNC!
🐦- Birds are attracted to their seeds, and love to use their grasses for nesting and roosting.
🦋- Butterfly Host Plant for 10+ species of NC butterflies.

✂️To keep them looking neat and tidy, they can (optionally) be cut back in early spring.

Full sun.
3-3.5'T x 1.5-2'W.
Zones 3-9, cold hardy down to -40F.

💚Plant Nerd: These amazing plants are used extensively in prairie restoration projects.

‘Prairie Blues’ was grown by seed and selected for the extra blue-gray foliage color.