Add striking visual interest and vital habitat to your landscape with Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), a native warm-season bunchgrass prized for its upright form and vibrant seasonal color. In spring and summer, its slender blue-green blades provide a soft, textural backdrop and essential cover for birds, pollinators, and beneficial insects. As fall approaches, the foliage transforms into rich reddish-bronze tones, followed by silvery-white seed tufts that persist through winter, offering beauty and food for wildlife.
This drought-tolerant, low-maintenance perennial is perfect for sunny meadows, prairie gardens, slopes, or mixed native plantings—and plays an important role in supporting biodiversity.
Key Features:
- Year-Round Visual Interest: Transitions from blue-green summer blades to deep red fall foliage and snowy-white winter seed tufts
- Wildlife-Friendly: Provides shelter and nesting material for birds, seeds for overwintering songbirds, and habitat for butterflies and beneficial insects
- Drought-Tolerant & Easy to Grow: Thrives in full sun and well-drained soil with minimal care
- Deer & Rabbit Resistant: Naturally unappealing to browsing wildlife
- Ideal for Sustainable Landscaping: Deep-rooted and erosion-resistant, perfect for low-maintenance and xeriscape gardens
- Pollinator-Safe: Grown non-GMO and free of harmful neonicotinoids, promoting a healthy ecosystem for pollinators and wildlife.
Available in sets of three, six, or 12 plants to easily create native plant groupings for erosion control or habitat corridors.
Planting Tips:
- Location: Best planted in full sun with dry to medium, well-drained soil
- Watering: Water regularly during the first season to establish roots; minimal watering needed afterward
- Maintenance: Minimal care required. Leave stems standing through fall and winter to provide habitat for overwintering insects and add winter interest. If desired, cut back the stems in late spring after pollinators have emerged.
For more information on planting, view our How to Plant Your Native Plants guide and other planting tips in the Garden for Wildlife Learning Center.
Bring natural beauty and ecological value to your garden with Little Bluestem —a show-stopping, wildlife-supporting native grass that thrives with minimal care.