The Blues Little Bluestem Grass

The Blues Little bluestem grass is also known as bunch grass, beard grass, or sage grass. No matter the name, this grass is an exceptional plant for your outdoor spaces. With its tidy and erect habit, this bluestem grass adds some charm to your yard as it sways in the slightest breeze. The fine-textured blades can also create some symmetry in your garden.

In the summer, its delicate foliage develops into a cool tone of blue along the reddish stems. Purple flowers emerge near the top of the plant’s canopy. During the fall, the leaves deepen into a copper color that almost glows with the evening sun. You will also notice those purple blooms changing into silver clusters for the fall. The colorful hues of this ornamental grass continue to delight throughout the winter. This grass is an ideal way to brighten up those drab spaces. As an added benefit, the grass also provides cover and food for those ground-nesting birds.

At one time, this native grass could be found across the open woods and prairies in North America. Today, the bluestem grass is suitable for any type of landscape or garden style. You want to add this classic grass throughout your outdoor spaces.

Many communities use these grasses for public parks or commercial landscapes. They even shine throughout a woodland planting. When used in a mass planting, the bluestem is the perfect specimen for prairie or meadow displays. You will want to plant them about 2 feet on center to fill in those bare spaces around the yard. If they get too unruly, these grasses can be trimmed back in the early spring.

If you have growing issues with slopes or need help with erosion, this grass stabilizes those areas. It can recapture the soil’s structure to provide erosion control. The deep roots of the grass are the perfect addition to those areas with drought conditions.

The Blues Little bluestem grass excels in any space in your landscape. It will reach a height of 24 to 36 inches at maturity. With that size, you might want to line a long border with this grass to create a fuller edge. If you are looking for a soft-textured accent in your perennial garden, this grass provides a great contrast to coarse shrubs or plants.

The bluestem grass is best suited for USDA hardiness zones 3 to 9. This prairie grass does well when planted in the full sun. However, it can grow in a wide range of soils, such as heavy clay or sandy soils. While it is adaptable to many soils, you must plant it in a well-draining location. For those areas with heat humidity and heat, this plant will thrive in your space. It can even survive those colder climates. Diseases and pests do not bother this hardy ornamental grass. It can even handle those areas with high pollution, such as city environments.

Once the grass has established in your yard, it will become tolerant of droughts. In most yards, this grass only needs occasional watering. For the first growing season, you want to give those young plants a moderate amount of water.

You should hold off on trimming the grass until after the first full year of growth. After that time, you can cut it down to the ground. Late winter or early spring are the best times to trim this grass. On this schedule, you will start to see some new growth by April or May.

This deciduous, clumping grass has striking bluish-green foliage. Once autumn arrives, your space will be washed in bronze to flaming orange tones. Above the foliage, purple flower spikes emerge from the grass. Those fluffy seed heads transform into puffs of silver by the winter. If you need a specimen for a border or want ground cover in a mass planting, you cannot go wrong with The Blues Little Bluestem Grass. Let Arbor Valley Nursery secure this grass for your next project. We have a large selection of plants, grasses, and shrubs. You can learn more about this grass by filling out the contact form.