Schizachyrium scoparium 'Blaze'
Common Name(s):
Little Bluestem
Synonym:
Flower:
Brown
Blooms :
Aug
to:
Oct
Purplish bronze flowers in 3" long racemes
Botanical Description
Fragrant?
NO
Family:
Poaceae
Grass
Foliage:
Green
Slender flat linear green leaves with tinge of blue at the base
Fall Color?
YES
Bronze orange leaves
Deciduous
Photo by:
Heading 6
Seeds heads persist into winter
Oregon Native?
NO
West State Native?
NO
Origins:
One of dominant grasses of the tallgrass prairies of central North America
Site Selection
Minimum USDA Hardiness Zone:
3
Water Needs:
L
Sun Needs:
Full Sun
Deer Resistant?
YES
Firewise?
NO
Height:
2-3'
Spread:
18-24"
Growth Rate:
Medium
Native Habitat:
Native to prairies, fields, clearings, hills, limestone glades, roadsides, waste areas and open woods from Alberta to Quebec south to Arizona and Florida
Soil:
Average, dry to medium moisture, well drained soil
Care Recommendations
Maintenance Level:
Low
Fertilizer:
Requires no fertilizer
Mulch:
Pea gravel, crushed rock, or a thin layer of coarse wood chips
Once established deep water every 10-14 days during dry summer months, do not overwater, do not fertilize, cut back hard to 3-8" in late winter/early spring, divide over grown clumps every few years in spring
Long Term:
Winter:
Cut clumps to ground in later winter to early spring
Spring:
Cut back clumps to the ground in late winter to early spring
Summer:
Full sun, lean well-drained soil, minimal watering
Fall:
Do not cut back
General Care Comments:
Tolerant of drought, erosion, dry soil, wet soil, black walnut, air pollution
Common Problems
Flopping or lodging in overly rich soil, overfertilizing, too much water
Diseases:
Fungal leaf spot, rust
Insects:
Aphids, spider mites, spittlebugs
Environmental Problems:
Poor drainage, lodging, dieback
Pests:
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