Mid-sized native perennial bunchgrass with flowering stems from 1-4 feet tall. Narrow leaves are up to 12 inches long and less than 1/4 inch wide. Foliage color is quite variable, but leaves and stems often have a significant bluish cast (B,D). Stems are flattened at the base, a feature accentuated by the sharply keeled leaf sheaths. Flowering stems have numerous branches, each with its own unique 1-2 inch long flower cluster at the tip consisting of several paired spikelets, one fertile and the other infertile. At maturity long white hairs on the stalk of the infertile spikelet and pedicle give the plant a festive feathery appearance (F). Foliage turns a rich red brown or bronze in the fall (E).
Upland prairies; savannas. At Fontenelle Forest, Little Bluestem is uncommon in the planting on the dam in Childs Hollow. It is common in the Jonas and Koley Prairie restorations at Neale Woods. Flowering occurs from August to October in this species which is the last of our prairie grasses to flower.
Little bluestem, the official state grass of Nebraska, is an important component of our native tallgrass and mixed grass prairies thriving on drier sites in a wide variety of soil types. The bluish foliage and rich reddish-brown fall color have made it a popular ornamental.
The content of NatureSearch is provided by dedicated volunteer Naturalists of Fontenelle Forest who strive to provide the most accurate information available. Contributors of the images retain their copyrights. The point of contact for this page is: Neal Ratzlaff.