Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Grass
Grass
Origin
North America, Northeastern United States, North-Central United States, Central United States, South-Central United States, Canada
North America, United States, Canada
Types
Sporobolus heterolepis
Schizachyrium scoparium
Number of Varieties
1530
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hay fields
Hillside, Prairies, Roadsides
USDA Hardiness Zone
3-82-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
10 - 2
7 - 1
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17
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
Habit
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
45.70 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
50.80 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Purple, Light Green
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow, Orange, Gold
Yellow, Red, Bronze, Orange Red
Leaf Color in Winter
Tan, Bronze
Tan, Bronze
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Grass like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Late Summer
Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Pollution, Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Divison, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Ample Water
In Winter
Average Water
Ample Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
No pruning needed in the early stages, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
No fertilizers needed
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
fungus, Leaf spot
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Bees
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Ground Cover, Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Erosion control, Wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Whole plant
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edging, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Botanical Name
SPOROBOLUS heterolepis
SCHIZACHYRIUM scoparium
Common Name
Prairie Dropseed
Little Bluestem
In Hindi
prairie dropseed
little bluestem
In German
Prärie Dropseed
wenig bluestem
In French
prairie dropseed
barbon
In Spanish
dropseed pradera
Poco bluestem
In Greek
λιβάδι dropseed
Μικρή bluestem
In Portuguese
pradaria dropseed
pouco bluestem
In Polish
łąka dropseed
trochę bluestem
In Latin
PRATUM grama
parum bluestem
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Poales
Cyperales
Family
Poaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Sporobolus
Schizachyrium
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
Andropogoneae
Subfamily
-
Panicoideae
Number of Species
1010
1
27800
👆🏻