Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Broadleaf Evergreen
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
Australia
Types
-
Acacia retinodes retinodes, Acacia retinodes uncifolia
Number of Varieties
42
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
meadows, Prairies, Riverbanks, Roadsides, Woods
open forests
USDA Hardiness Zone
2-78-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
7 - 1
-
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
8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Oval/Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
38.10 cm530.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
152.40 cm530.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Purple
Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
-
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Blue Green, Burgundy, Bronze
Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Tan, Sandy Brown
Blue Green, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Long Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
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
Spring, Summer, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Medium
Allow soil to be completely dry in between waterings
In Summer
Lots of watering
Xeric/Desert, Drought Tolerant
In Spring
Moderate
Adequately
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
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Prune after flowering
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red spider mite
Plant Tolerance
-
Drought, Salt
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Ground Cover, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for animals, Prevent Soil Erosion
Windbreak
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Stem
Flowers, Seeds
Other Uses
Decoration Purposes, Food for animals
Used as a dye
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Wildflower
Mixed Border, Screening, Wind Break
Botanical Name
ANDROPOGON gerardii
Acacia retinodes
Common Name
Big Bluestem, Turkey Foot
Ever-blooming Wattle, Silver Wattle, Water Wattle
In Hindi
Big Bluestem grass
Silver Wattle
In German
Große Bartgras
Silver Wattle
In French
Barbon de Gérard herbe
Mimosa d'été
In Spanish
hierba andropogon grande
acacia amarilla
In Greek
Big BLUESTEM γρασίδι
ασήμι μιμόζα
In Portuguese
Vetiver grande grama
Acacia retinodes
In Polish
Big Bluestem trawa
Silver Wattle
In Latin
Big bluestem herba
Silver Wattle
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Lillosida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Poaceae
Fabales
Family
Poaceae
Fabaceae
Genus
Andropogon
Acacia
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
150950
1
27800
👆🏻