Schizachyrium scoparium [sold as Little Bluestem]
Little Bluestem

 Genus:
 Plant Type:
 Growth Forms:
 Hardiness:
 Flower Notes:
Purplish-bronze flowers appear in racemes on branched stems in August.
 Foliage Notes:
Upright clumps of slender, flat, linear green leaves with each leaf having a tinge of blue at the base. Leaves turn a bronze-orange in the fall.
 Stem Notes:
Stems are a bluish-green at their base in summer and turn to red, purple, and copper tones by fall.
 Fruit Notes:
Clusters of fluffy, silvery-white seed heads are attractive to birds when they often persist into winter.
 Ultimate Height:
2-4' feet
 Ultimate Spread:
1.5-2' feet
 Light Requirements:
 Soil Water Requirements:
 Soil Notes:
Best grown in average, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soil.
 Range:
Eastern North America
 Maintenance:

The Purdue Arboretum is a collaboration between the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture and Administrative Operations

Purdue Arboretum, 625 Agriculture Mall Dr, West Lafayette, IN, 47907
© 2026 Purdue UniversityAn equal access/equal opportunity universityCopyright ComplaintsMaintained by Purdue Arboretum Explorer
Contact Purdue Arboretum at arboretum@purdue.edu for accessibility issues with this page | Accessibility Resources | Contact Us