Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Grass
Grass
Origin
North America, United States, Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, North-Central United States, Central United States, South-Central United States, Southwestern United States, Texas, Canada, Mexico
North America, Northeastern United States, North-Central United States, Central United States, South-Central United States, Canada
Types
-
Sporobolus heterolepis
Number of Varieties
415
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
meadows, Prairies, Riverbanks, Roadsides, Woods
Hay fields
USDA Hardiness Zone
2-73-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
7 - 1
10 - 2
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
38.10 cm45.70 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
152.40 cm50.80 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Purple
Red, Green, Purple, Light Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Blue Green, Burgundy, Bronze
Yellow, Orange, Gold
Leaf Color in Winter
Tan, Sandy Brown
Tan, Bronze
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Grass like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Pollution, Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Medium
Medium
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
-
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Ground Cover, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Ground Cover, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for animals, Prevent Soil Erosion
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Stem
Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
Decoration Purposes, Food for animals
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Wildflower
Container, Edging, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Botanical Name
ANDROPOGON gerardii
SPOROBOLUS heterolepis
Common Name
Big Bluestem, Turkey Foot
Prairie Dropseed
In Hindi
Big Bluestem grass
prairie dropseed
In German
Große Bartgras
Prärie Dropseed
In French
Barbon de Gérard herbe
prairie dropseed
In Spanish
hierba andropogon grande
dropseed pradera
In Greek
Big BLUESTEM γρασίδι
λιβάδι dropseed
In Portuguese
Vetiver grande grama
pradaria dropseed
In Polish
Big Bluestem trawa
łąka dropseed
In Latin
Big bluestem herba
PRATUM grama
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Lillosida
Liliopsida
Order
Poaceae
Poales
Family
Poaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Andropogon
Sporobolus
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
15010
1
27800
👆🏻