General description: perennial mound-forming ornamental bunchgrass Height: 3 feet Bloom color: white, green, brown Bloom time: June - December Ecological value: provides shelter and forage to birds; larval host of several species of butterflies and moths; provides nesting materials for native bees
Native habitat: woodland edges and openings, hillsides and slopes, meadows Sunlight: sun to partial shade Soil moisture level: low/dry Adapted to the following soil types: well-draining sandy, loamy, clay, or limestone-based soils CaCO3 tolerance: high Drought tolerance: high Soil pH range of tolerance: 7.0 and slightly higher
Where/how to plant: visually stunning when planted in a large group; will not tolerate sub-irrigated sites -We recommend that you plant this species in its native habitat, or conditions that mimic its native habitat Management: competition control is fundamental to stand establishment
Notes: fall color is mahogany-red and persists through snows; commonly used in ornamental gardens
References “Schizachyrium Scoparium.” Plant Database - Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, The University of Texas at Austin, www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SCSC.
USDA NRCS National Plant Materials Center . “LITTLE BLUESTEM - Plant Fact Sheet.” USDA NRCS, 5 Feb. 2002.