Schizachyrium scoparium or Andropogon scoparius (Little Bluestem)
Schizachyrium scoparium or Andropogon scoparius (Little Bluestem)
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Pure Live Seed
Pure Live Seed
Seed is provided in Pure Live Seed (PLS) unless otherwise stated.
Pure Live Seed (PLS) expresses the viable seed content of a seed lot using its purity and germination or viability test results. It helps you compare seed lots and calculate how much bulk seed is needed to meet a specified PLS planting rate.
PLS weight and bag weight
PLS weight is not the same as the total weight of seed in a bag. For example, a lot with 80% purity and 75% viability contains 60% PLS: 80 × 75 ÷ 100 = 60. Supplying 10 lb PLS from that lot requires about 16.67 lb of bulk seed.
Use the current seed test and the stated basis of the mix specification. Germination calculations may include applicable hard or dormant seed. Seed-count estimates also require the number of seeds per pound; PLS alone does not provide a seed count.
What to check when buying a mix
Check whether each rate is stated in PLS pounds, bulk pounds, or a combination. A mix with both bases should not be described as having an all-PLS total.
PLS does not remove weed seeds or guarantee establishment. Review the seed label and analysis for weed content, and match site preparation, planting conditions and follow-up management to your project.
Sources: USDA NRCS, Understanding Pure Live Seed and The Importance of Seed Quality for Natural Resource Conservation.
Weight Conversions lbs. to oz.
Weight Conversions lbs. to oz.
0.01 pounds = 0.16 ounces
- 0.1 pounds = 1.6 ounces
- 0.25 pounds = 4 ounces
- 0.5 pounds = 8 ounces
- 0.75 pounds = 12 ounces
- 1.00 pounds = 16 ounces
Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) grows in upright grassy clumps that fit naturally into an open prairie planting. It handles lean soils, and its size changes with soil fertility and available moisture. Give the clumps space to develop among prairie flowers instead of treating the planting as a tightly packed lawn.
Check the product options above for the available format and quantity.
Plant specifications & ecological relationships
Key growing facts
| Sunlight | Full sun |
|---|---|
| Soil moisture | Mesic to dry |
| Height | 2-3 ft |
| Bloom season | Late summer into the autumn |
Native landscape companions
For full sun and dry-mesic soil, consider these native plants alongside Schizachyrium scoparium:
| Companion plant | Height |
|---|---|
| Flowering Spurge (Euphorbia corollata) | ½–3 ft |
| Small Yellow Fox Sedge (Carex annectens) | 18 to 40 inches |
| Lead Plant (Amorpha canescens) | 1-3 ft |
| Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea) | ¾–3 ft |
These landscape suggestions combine overlapping growing needs with documented plant associations. Match soil, seasonal wetness and mature spread to your site. Remnant records are described separately under Plant communities & associates.
Show / hide ▾Growing & planting details
| Growth habit | Perennial grass densely tufted at the base |
|---|---|
| Root form | Usually forms distinct bunches; short rhizomes may occur on wetter sites. |
| Soil pH | Published cultivation guidance lists acidic, alkaline, neutral soil conditions; no optimal numeric interval is established. |
| Cultivation hardiness zones | Zones 3a–9b (general cultivation guidance) |
| Drought tolerance | Strong drought tolerance reported |
| Deer browsing | Deer resistance reported in cultivation guidance; browsing remains possible. |
| Salt tolerance | None |
Plant identification & seed reference
| Botanical name | Schizachyrium scoparium |
|---|---|
| Other common names | little bluestem; Little Bluestem; Prairie Beardgrass; Prairie Beard Grass |
| Seed germination | USDA lists cold stratification as not required; seed-lot response may vary. |
| Plant family | Poaceae |
| Seeds per pound — reference estimate | 240670 |
Plant characteristics
Schizachyrium scoparium (Little Bluestem) is one of the best native grasses for landscaping! Its compact growth habit lends itself well to a border placement and mass plantings. It has a nice form and a blueish hue in its leaves during the summer that gives way to a nice orange/pink fall foliage which can give excellent winter interest.
- Flower Time July-September
Show / hide ▾Plant communities & associates
Documented Illinois communities
Mature dry sand prairie — burned
Lost Mound — Jo Daviess County, Illinois; 2005 survey.
Other native plants recorded in this survey area: Amorpha canescens, Andropogon gerardii, Anemone cylindrica, Asclepias verticillata, Asclepias viridiflora, Aster ericoides, Bouteloua curtipendula, Bouteloua hirsuta, Ceanothus americanus, Coreopsis palmata, Dalea purpurea, Eragrostis spectabilis.
Selected species from the ground layer. The survey includes disturbance and succession; these records do not specify immediate neighbors or planting proportions.
Mature dry sand prairie
Big River Natural Area — Henderson County, Illinois; 2005 survey.
Other native plants recorded in this survey area: Bouteloua hirsuta, Eragrostis spectabilis, Euphorbia corollata, Koeleria macrantha, Lespedeza capitata, Monarda punctata, Quercus velutina, Rhus aromatica, Rhus glabra, Solidago nemoralis, Solidago speciosa, Ambrosia psilostachya.
Selected species from the ground layer. The survey includes disturbance and succession; these records do not specify immediate neighbors or planting proportions.
Late-successional dry sand prairie
Ayers Sand Prairie Nature Preserve — Carroll County, Illinois; 2004 survey.
Other native plants recorded in this survey area: Asclepias verticillata, Aster ericoides, Eragrostis spectabilis, Euphorbia corollata, Koeleria macrantha, Lespedeza capitata, Liatris aspera, Panicum virgatum, Solidago nemoralis, Viola pedata, Ambrosia psilostachya, Aristida tuberculosa.
Selected species from the ground layer. The survey includes disturbance and succession; these records do not specify immediate neighbors or planting proportions.
Illinois plant communities
Mesic black-soil prairie — central Illinois
Recorded at Loda Cemetery Prairie (Iroquois County), Prospect Cemetery Prairie (Ford County), Weston Cemetery Prairie (McLean County). INHS identifies these sites as remnants of this community.
Selected native plants from the same remnant records:
- Sorghastrum nutans
- Andropogon gerardii
- Sporobolus heterolepis
- Eryngium yuccifolium
- Silphium laciniatum
- Parthenium integrifolium
These inventories include edges and disturbed patches. Shared remnant records do not establish that every plant grows together in one microsite.
Illinois plant communities
These regional accounts place this plant and the plants below in the same type of natural community. A community list does not mean that every species grew together in one plot. Use the habitat and location to understand the relationship; it is not a planting recipe.
- Mature dry sand prairie — Illinois sand deposits: Dichanthelium villosissimum, Ambrosia psilostachya, Lespedeza capitata, Solidago nemoralis, Opuntia spp.. (pp. 265)
- Gravel prairie crest grasses — Rock River, Winnebago County, Illinois: Bouteloua curtipendula, Sporobolus heterolepis. These grass records were reported by Fell and Fell in 1956. (pp. 267)
- Gravel prairie — Illinois River valley, Illinois: Bouteloua curtipendula, Dichanthelium oligosanthes, Sorghastrum nutans, Sporobolus clandestinus, Ambrosia psilostachya, Dalea purpurea, Echinacea pallida, Opuntia humifusa. (pp. 267)
Green River community records
Dry sand prairie: Lee County, Illinois (2006). Selected catalog plants recorded in this community: Amorpha canescens; Antennaria plantaginifolia; Asclepias verticillata; Coreopsis lanceolata; Euphorbia corollata; Koeleria macrantha.
Dry-mesic sand prairie: Lee County, Illinois (2006). Selected catalog plants recorded in this community: Andropogon gerardii; Antennaria plantaginifolia; Asclepias verticillata; Euphorbia corollata; Lespedeza capitata; Liatris aspera.
Mesic sand prairie: Lee County, Illinois (2006). Selected catalog plants recorded in this community: Andropogon gerardii; Antennaria neglecta; Antennaria plantaginifolia; Fragaria virginiana; Lespedeza capitata; Liatris pycnostachya.
The study site includes restoration plantings. Community records do not establish county-native origin or a seed-mix recipe.
Other regional plant communities
These plants are named with this species in published vegetation accounts. Each list keeps its community and region; some records describe a shared vegetation type rather than neighboring plants in a measured plot. They are ecological records, not a planting recipe, and may include plants unsuitable for a particular garden.
- Transition between mesic lowland and dry hillslope prairie (Illinois): Amorpha canescens.
- Lake Michigan sand prairie (Illinois Beach State Park, Illinois): Calamovilfa longifolia.
- Sand prairie (Sand Prairie Scrub Oak Nature Preserve, Illinois): Calamovilfa longifolia.
- Dry to mesic tallgrass prairie (Iowa): Amorpha canescens.
- Prairies (Midwestern and eastern North America): Carex pensylvanica.
- Tallgrass prairie (Great Plains and Midwest): Dalea purpurea.
- Cedar glades (Wisconsin): Juniperus virginiana.
- Black-oak savanna (Indiana): Rhus glabra.
- Sandhill prairie and mixed-grass prairie (Great Plains): Amorpha canescens.
- Seasonally wet stream and lake margins (Nebraska): Amorpha canescens.
- Grasslands, woodlands and shrublands (North American range synthesis; associations vary by region): Bouteloua curtipendula.
- Open upper dune slopes and ridges (Nebraska Sandhills): Bouteloua hirsuta.
- Tallgrass prairie (North-central Texas): Bouteloua hirsuta.
- Ponderosa-pine savanna (Western North Dakota): Bouteloua hirsuta.
- Dune slopes and bottoms (Nebraska Sandhills): Calamovilfa longifolia.
- Mixed-grass prairie (Northwestern South Dakota): Calamovilfa longifolia.
- Dune communities (Lake Huron): Elymus canadensis.
- Tallgrass prairie (Kansas): Elymus canadensis.
- Tallgrass prairie (Nebraska): Elymus canadensis.
- Rocky ridges (Northeastern United States): Juniperus virginiana.
- Grassland and shrub associates (Prairie region; account synthesis): Juniperus virginiana.
- Cedar glades (Kentucky): Juniperus virginiana.
- Tallgrass prairie and lowlands (Tallgrass prairie region): Panicum virgatum.
- Tallgrass prairie and wooded draws (Kansas): Rhus aromatica.
- Redcedar woodland herbs and shrubs (Eastern North America; account synthesis): Rhus aromatica.
- Bluestem prairie (Kansas): Rhus glabra.
- Open pine understory (Eastern and central United States): Pinus palustris, Pinus rigida, Pinus taeda, Pinus elliottii, Pinus echinata, Pinus virginiana.
Show / hide ▾Native range & C-value
State nativity describes a broad range. Use the Chicago-region assessment for local context; a state listing does not establish county nativity.
| Wetland indicator — NWPL 2022 Midwest | FACU |
|---|---|
| C-value — Chicago region, Flora 2017 | 5 |
| Chicago-region native — Flora 2017 | Yes |
| Native range — U.S. states | Alabama; Arkansas; California; Colorado; Connecticut; Delaware; Florida; Georgia; Idaho; Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Kansas; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maryland; Massachusetts; Michigan; Minnesota; Mississippi; Missouri; Montana; Nebraska; New Hampshire; New Jersey; New Mexico; New York; North Carolina; North Dakota; Ohio; Oklahoma; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island; South Carolina; South Dakota; Tennessee; Texas; Utah; Vermont; Virginia; Washington; West Virginia; Wisconsin; Wyoming |
| County nativity | Not yet verified; occurrence records do not establish nativity. |
Show / hide ▾Pollinators & wildlife
Caterpillars & other plant-feeding insects
This plant has published caterpillar host records for the butterflies and moths listed below. These are larval feeding relationships, separate from adult nectar visits. The records span a North American literature compilation and do not establish that every insect occurs locally or uses only this plant.
Butterflies & skippers
- Amblyscirtes oslari — Prairie Roadside-Skipper, Oslar's Roadside-Skipper
- Atrytone arogos — Arogos Skipper, Beardgrass Skipper
- Atrytonopsis hianna — Dusted Skipper
- Hesperia meskei — Meske's Skipper
- Hesperia metea — Cobweb Skipper
- Hesperia miriamae — Sierra Skipper
- Limochores origenes — Crossline Skipper
- Nastra lherminier — Swarthy Skipper
Moths
- Stereomita andropogonis
Show / hide ▾Frequently asked questions
What are the ideal growing conditions for Little Bluestem?
Light: Full sun. Soil moisture: Mesic to dry.
How do I germinate and establish Little Bluestem from seed?
USDA lists cold stratification as not required; seed-lot response may vary.
Is Little Bluestem deer and herbivore resistant?
Deer resistance reported in cultivation guidance; browsing remains possible. Even plants described as resistant may be browsed. Use physical protection where deer damage is a concern.
When should I expect Little Bluestem to bloom?
Typical flowering period: Late summer into the autumn. Timing varies with location and weather.
Show / hide ▾Sources & ecological notes
Landscape companion selection: Natural Communities compared the growing requirements shown on these species pages with selected source records: Blowing sand — Northwestern Illinois — Mississippi River sand deposits; Mesic black-soil prairie — Loda Cemetery Prairie — Central Illinois. The shortlist is a planting-design inference. A shared record does not establish adjacency, identical soil requirements, local seed origin, or a tested planting combination. Regional synthesis records retain their documented focal-to-associate scope.
Illinois communities & local records: INHS: Loda, Prospect and Weston prairie records; INHS: Illinois sand-area plant communities; Ebinger et al.: Green River communities (2009).
Native range & ecological ratings: Flora of the Chicago Region (2017), via Universal FQA; Kew WCVP / Plants of the World Online; USACE Chicago FQA (2017); USACE National Wetland Plant List.
Growing conditions & other references: Illinois Wildflowers, John Hilty; USDA Forest Service: Amorpha canescens; USDA Forest Service: Bouteloua curtipendula; USDA Forest Service: Bouteloua hirsuta; USDA Forest Service: Calamovilfa longifolia; USDA Forest Service: Carex pensylvanica; USDA Forest Service: Dalea purpurea; USDA Forest Service: Elymus canadensis; USDA Forest Service: Juniperus virginiana; USDA Forest Service: Panicum virgatum; USDA Forest Service: Rhus aromatica; USDA Forest Service: Rhus glabra; USDA Forest Service: Schizachyrium scoparium; Patrick Goggin: Wisconsin native plant guide, p. 75; USDA NRCS PLANTS; USDA Forest Service: species review; USDA Forest Service: species review; USDA Forest Service: species review; USDA Forest Service: species review; USDA Forest Service: species review; USDA Forest Service: species review; NC State Extension Plant Toolbox.
Wildlife records: Shropshire & Tallamy: caterpillar hosts (2025).
Native range does not identify the origin of the seed or plants offered. Community and wildlife records apply to the locations and conditions described.
Research notes & credits
Caterpillar host records: Shropshire, K.J. & Tallamy, D.W. (2025), Lepidoptera of North America, Supplement 1. Contains information from this database made available under the Open Database License (ODbL 1.0). Natural Communities selected species-level records and screened source qualifications. The complete selection and transformation instructions for this page are available below under the same license.
State nativity: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 4 June 2026 release; taxon Schizachyrium scoparium. © The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. CC BY 3.0; selected and reformatted. Only records marked native, not extinct and not doubtful are included. Kew cannot warrant the quality or accuracy of these data; no Kew endorsement is implied.
Source: Phillippe, L.R., Molano-Flores, B., Murphy, M.J.C., Marcum, P.B. & Ebinger, J.E. (2011), Status of Endangered and Threatened Sand Area Species of the Illinois Flora, Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin 39(4):259–296. © 2011 University of Illinois Board of Trustees; CC BY 4.0. Selected community facts regrouped and described by Natural Communities. Historical source names retained; no current legal conservation status is asserted.
USACE/ERDC fqadata — Chicago Region FQA 2017. Herman, B., Sliwinski, R. & Whitaker, S. (2017), Chicago Region FQA Calculator; distributed by USACE/ERDC in fqadata under CC0. Values may differ from Flora of the Chicago Region (2017). CC0 dedication. Retained for comparison; the displayed C-value follows Flora database 80.
Flora rating attribution: Kenneth Johnson (2018), Flora of the Chicago Region UFQA Database, following Gerould Wilhelm and Laura Rericha (2017), Flora of the Chicago Region: A Floristic and Ecological Synthesis. Individual rating facts are presented with original commentary; the calculator’s software license is not treated as a license for the underlying Flora publication.
Caterpillar research records
Plant: Schizachyrium scoparium
Record scope: Host literature synthesis; no county nativity or local insect occurrence inferred.
Shropshire & Tallamy (2025) · Original research dataset · Reuse license: ODbL-1.0
| Plant names in the source | Source insect record IDs |
|---|---|
| Schizachyrium scoparium | 200691, 201643, 201649, 206859, 206860, 206861, 207762, 208553, 211789 |
How these records were selected
To reproduce this selection, use the “UDELep May 2025” worksheet in the original research dataset.
- Match the insect record IDs above to column A (UDLepID). Within each table row, pair every listed insect ID with every listed source plant name.
- Use the first two words in column H for the insect’s scientific name, column E for its common name, and column AB for its source category.
- Treat the selected pairs as reported caterpillar host records. Keep all other source fields unchanged and outside this selected table. Include no other rows or host pairs.
- Group butterflies and skippers together, and the other categories as moths. Retain the source’s exotic-category labels and sort display names by scientific insect name.
Survey communities: Ebinger et al. (2006), Tables 1–12, Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin. CC BY 4.0; adapted as dated presence lists, with the source’s non-native records excluded from the displayed native lists.
Growing guidance: Illinois Extension — Keeping deer out of the yard and garden. Selected facts in original wording. General deer advice is not a species resistance rating.
Plant Shipping & Care
Plant Shipping & Care
We want to ensure that our customers get what they want, a native backyard oasis. To do that, we need to follow a few simple guidelines and give you some information and pointers to make sure you get your plants delivered in a healthy state.
As a reminder, you will receive an email to confirm your pickup or shipping window just before the plants are ready. See Order Fulfillment below for seasonal fulfillment windows.
Choices to Receive Your Plants & Accessories
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Order Fulfilment - When Your Plants or Other Items Will Be Ready
We take orders all year long and seed is shipped all year, but we only provide the plants to you in certain fulfillment windows to ensure healthy plants.
Wholesale Orders
- Shipped or are Ready For Pick Up As Requested.
Retail & Website Orders
- Seed Typically Ships Out Within One Week Of Order All Year Long
- Typically, single species flats ship when ready, sometimes as soon as early to mid-April (depends on weather) through early-October.
- Mixed species kits are batched and shipped as indicated on the product page.
- If a plant order is placed while outside of the plant fulfillment window your plants will be reserved through your payment, however, the order will not be fulfilled and shipped until the following spring. We don't want to provide you plants when they won't be happy during the cold winter months.
- Early in the spring and later in the fall certain species may be dormant or partially dormant with brown leaves, however they will return to grow healthy next growing season.
- Your order may arrive in several different shipments.
- If certain plants within an order will not be available until a later date, we may choose to hold the full order until all are ready. In certain circumstances, we may choose to send them in two separate shipments
- Fulfillment is always dependent upon plant availability. We try our best but sometimes plants do not overwinter well and perish. If a plant is on back order you will receive an email indicating the estimated shipping date. If we can not provide the plant we will first notify you and give you an option of substitution or a refund of that individual species.
- Plants are typically only packaged and shipped on Mondays to ensure they do not sit in the harsh delivery facility for extended periods of time over the weekend. You will receive a confirmation email once your delivery has been shipped and to estimate your delivery date.
- Apparel & accessories are ready typically within one to two weeks. See product page for holiday shipping.
Where We Ship
What to Expect When Receiving Your Delivery
- Your plants will be packaged with the utmost care
- We will need to cut back certain plants prior to shipping. This seems counter-intuitive, however, the fewer leaves the less water the plants can lose during shipping, resulting in healthier plants for you. This also enables the plants to fit within the protective packaging and shipped safely.
Shipments
- Larger plant shipments will look similar to the picture below with a tray of your plants and a cardboard box to protect them during shipping.
What to Do With Your Plants After Receiving Your Delivery
- Unpack your order IMMEDIATELY
- Inspect for damage and report any issues immediately to Natives@NaturalCommunities.net
- Water your plants
- Install your plants as quickly as possible and water the entire garden area thoroughly
- If you cannot install your plants immediately
- Some plants may not be in a container, put them into some kind of a container such as a paper cup with loose soil until installation
- Make sure each plant is receiving the appropriate amount of light.
- Continue to water daily each morning and possibly again in the afternoon
- No additional fertilizer is needed
Seed Shipping & Care
Seed Shipping & Care
Seed ships all year and typically ships within a week of an order being placed.
We have attempted to put together some basic information regarding native seed installation, establishment, and maintenance. We hope you find it helpful. If you need further assistance on native seed establishment, please schedule a free consolation call here.
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