Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Grass
Origin
North America, United States, Canada
Southwestern United States, Texas, Mexico
Types
Schizachyrium scoparium
Nassella tenuissima
Number of Varieties
3015
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hillside, Prairies, Roadsides
driveways, open Woodlands, Roadsides, Rocky areas, Slopes, tree wells
USDA Hardiness Zone
2-76-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
7 - 1
11 - 4
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm50.80 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm55.90 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Blue Green, Gray Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow, Red, Bronze, Orange Red
Green, Yellow green, Tan
Leaf Color in Winter
Tan, Bronze
Green, Yellow green, Gold, Tan
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Divison, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season
Do not water excessively
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Ample Water
Moderate
In Winter
Ample Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
No pruning needed in the early stages, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Requires little pruning
Fertilizers
No fertilizers needed
Apply 12-6-6 fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
fungus, Leaf spot
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
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
Fine
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes, small hedge
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Erosion control, Wildlife
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Leaves
Other Uses
-
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Container, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Botanical Name
SCHIZACHYRIUM scoparium
NASSELLA tenuissima
Common Name
Little Bluestem
Finestem Needlegrass, Mexican Feather Grass
In Hindi
little bluestem
Mexican Feather Grass
In German
wenig bluestem
Mexikanische Federgras
In French
barbon
Mexicaine Herbe Feather
In Spanish
Poco bluestem
Pluma hierba mexicana
In Greek
Μικρή bluestem
Μεξικού Αστραπή Grass
In Portuguese
pouco bluestem
Mexican Pena Relva
In Polish
trochę bluestem
Mexican Feather trawy
In Latin
parum bluestem
Mexicanus Pluma Grass
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Cyperales
Family
Poaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Schizachyrium
Nassella
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Andropogoneae
Stipeae
Subfamily
Panicoideae
-
Number of Species
10116
1
27800
👆🏻