Little bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium var. frequens
Poaceae
Description
This bunchgrass has flattened sheaths, blades and stems. The plant is purplish to bluish green in summer and turns orangish red in winter. The leaf sheath has a ligule. The inflorescence has small, fuzzy seeds with a twisted awn; they are partially enclosed in a leaf sheath. Seeds mature in the fall.
Little bluestem is a perennial, warm-season, native - 24 to 48 inches tall.
Good grazing for livestock. Poor grazing for wildlife, but may provide nesting sites for ground-nesting birds.
Habitat
Grows on upland and bottomland sites and is a dominant grass on tallgrass prairies. Decreases with heavy grazing.
Images
Plant Characteristics
Duration: Perennial
Stem Texture: Hairless/Smooth
Growth Habit: Bunch grass, Grasses
Season: Warm
Distribution
: 02 - Gulf Prairies and Marshes, 03 - Post Oak Savannah, 04 - Blackland Prairies, 05 - Cross Timbers and Prairies, 06 - South Texas Plains, 07 - Edwards Plateau, 08 - Rolling Plains, 09 - High Plains, 10 - Trans-Pecos
Distributions
Distribution refers to the ecological region in Texas that a plant has been found. You can also view a clickable map.
Book: Know Your Grasses (B-182)
Collection: Grasses
