Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Tree
Origin
North America, United States, Canada
Eastern Africa, Middle Africa
Types
Schizachyrium scoparium
Kigelia africana
Number of Varieties
309
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hillside, Prairies, Roadsides
Riverine forest, wooded grassland
USDA Hardiness Zone
2-79-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
7 - 1
12-9
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
H1, H2, 12, 13, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm910.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Dark Red, Tan
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Tan
Leaf Color in Spring
Blue Green, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow, Red, Bronze, Orange Red
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Tan, Bronze
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Pinnate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Average
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
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
Needs a lot of water initially
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
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
No pruning needed in the early stages, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
No fertilizers needed
Balanced liquid fertilizer monthly
Pests and Diseases
fungus, Leaf spot
Leaf spot, Mealybugs, Rust
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees
Bees, Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
Poisonous when unripe
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Acne, Slow downs aging
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Erosion control, Wildlife
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Gynaecological, Malaria, STDs
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Dried seeds, Leaves
Other Uses
-
Used to flavour beer, Used to produce a red dye
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
SCHIZACHYRIUM scoparium
KIGELIA africana
Common Name
Little Bluestem
Sausage Tree
In Hindi
little bluestem
Sausage Tree
In German
wenig bluestem
Sausage Tree
In French
barbon
saucisse Arbre
In Spanish
Poco bluestem
Árbol de salchicha
In Greek
Μικρή bluestem
λουκάνικο δέντρο
In Portuguese
pouco bluestem
Árvore de salsicha
In Polish
trochę bluestem
kiełbasa Drzewo
In Latin
parum bluestem
farciminis ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Lamiales
Family
Poaceae
Bignoniaceae
Genus
Schizachyrium
Kaempferia
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Andropogoneae
Tecomeae
Subfamily
Panicoideae
-
Number of Species
109
1
27800
👆🏻