Little Bluestem - Schizachyrium scoparium

Blue tinted in spring and red in fall and winter, Little Bluestem is THE go-to waist-high 'ornamental' native grass for manicured or natural gardens. Hairy, white flowers spray from the stalk, adding winter interest and a food source for songbirds like Juncos and native Sparrows. Little Bluestem is larval host to many varieties of skippers, two-winged fliers shaped like tiny jet planes. You may see a grasshopper in your garden, and give a good meal to a songbird. Soil Type: Clay/Loam/Sand/Gravel Soil Conditions: Average-Dry Flower Color: N/A Flower Time: Warm Season Height: 3' Light: Sun/Part-Sun Features: Winter Interest, Birds, Pollinators, Larval Host Credits: Info courtesy of IllinoisWildflowers.Info; Photos courtesy of: L. Glasscock, hosted by the USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA SCS. 1991. Southern wetland flora: Field office guide to plant species. South National Technical Center, Fort Worth. (Fallcolor) J.S. Peterson, hosted by the USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database (Summer photo)