Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
[skiz-ah-KEER-ee-um skoe-PAR-ee-um]

Deciduous Perennial Upright, Clump-Forming in the Poaceae Family
 
Buy Little Bluestem
Size Notes Price Availability
#1 gallon Field $14.22 Likely available
11/1 - 11/8
1/24 - 4/4
18 Flat Field $90.68 Likely available
11/1 - 11/8
1/24 - 4/4
38 FLAT Field $108.97 Likely available
11/1 - 11/8
1/24 - 4/4
50ct Plug Deep Flat Field $135.63 Likely available
11/1 - 11/8
1/24 - 4/4
Tray of 10 4" pots Field $68.20 Likely available
11/1 - 11/8
1/24 - 4/4
Tray of 6 #1 gallons Field

Grower approved but probably not garden center ready. (9/13)

 $69.75 Likely available
11/1 - 11/8
1/24 - 4/4

A tough native prairie grass that turns a warm copper-orange in October and holds its color — plus fluffy silver seed heads — well into winter. Named 2022 Perennial Plant of the Year.

Schizachyrium scoparium, little bluestem, is a native North American prairie grass found across most of the contiguous United States, from southern Canada into northern Mexico, and is especially common in Midwestern tallgrass prairies. It forms upright, fine-textured clumps of blue-green foliage in summer that turn a rich copper-orange in fall — a color that holds through much of winter, along with fluffy, silvery seed heads that catch the low autumn light.

In 2022, it was named Perennial Plant of the Year by the Perennial Plant Association.

Pros

  • Reliable copper-orange fall color that persists through winter
  • 2022 Perennial Plant of the Year — a proven, widely-grown native grass
  • Host plant for several skipper butterflies and the Common Wood-Nymph
  • Deer-resistant and thrives in poor, dry soil once established

Cons

  • Needs full sun — won't perform well in shade
  • Can flop or splay open in overly rich soil
  • Slow to fill in during its first year or two
  • Prone to crown rot if mulched too heavily right against the base
Why Like A keystone tallgrass prairie species and a larval host plant for several skipper butterflies as well as the Common Wood-Nymph, whose caterpillars overwinter low in the clump — leaving old growth standing through winter (rather than cutting back in fall) helps support them. Its seeds feed songbirds and small mammals through the colder months, and its dense, fibrous root system — which can reach several feet deep — makes it valuable for erosion control and improving compacted or poor soils.
Highlights Peak fall/winter interest plant — copper-orange blades and silvery, backlit seed heads carry the show from October through much of winter. Named 2022 Perennial Plant of the Year by the Perennial Plant Association.
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 24 - 48 inches tall. 12 - 24 inches wide.
Growth Rate Moderate
Sun Exposure Full Sun - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Dry - Medium: Excellent drought tolerance once established; tolerates occasionally dry to medium moisture, but not standing wet soil.
Zones 3a - 9b (Usually hardy to -40° F)
Tags Attracts Beneficial Insects, Attracts Birds, Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Pollinators, Attracts Wildlife, Colorful Foliage, Container, Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Dry, Erosion Control, Fall Color, Fall interest, Formal Garden, Foundation, Full Sun, Good for Accents, Good for Beginners, Good for Borders, Good for Butterfly Garden, Good for Cottage Garden, Good for Cut Flowers, Good for Mass Planting, Good for Rain Garden, Good for Rock Garden, Good for Rocky Soil, Grasses, Grown For Attractive Foliage, Illinois Native, Low Maintenance, Medium, Modern Garden, Most Popular, Native to North America, Naturalizing, Normal Soil, Perennial, Popular For Fall, Prairie Garden, Rabbit Resistant, Tolerant of Clay Soil, Tolerant of Moist Soil, Tolerant of Salt, Tolerant of Sandy Soil, Well-Drained Soil, Woodland Garden Deer Resistant Perennials, Large Perennials, Ornamental Grass, Partial Sun Perennials
Bloom Period June to October
Flower Color Purplish-Bronze
Foliage Color Blue-Green
 

Awards
 

Most Popular Plants
 

Plant Club Content
 

More Info from Experts

Commonly Planted with...

Showy aster (Aster spectabilis) Downy wood mint (Blephilia ciliata) Sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula) Wine cups (Callirhoe involucrata) Northern seaoates (Chasmanthium latifolium) Lanceleaf tickseed (Coreopsis lanceolata)

Photos of This with...

Big Blue Stem, Bonanza Deep Orange French Marigold, EnduraScape Blue Verbena, EnduraScape Hot Pink Verbena
 
Want More photos of this plant? Try Google Image Search!
 


Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 04/03 - 10/04
2024 : 05/01 - 10/05
2023 : 04/13 - 09/30

Little Bluestem Available Soon

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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To secure the best prices for club members and make sure we know the current plants available from each nursery, we take orders only a couple of times a month.

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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!