North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Schizachyrium scoparium

Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash

little bluestem, common little bluestem

Cultivar(s): Blue Heaven, Prairie Blues, The Blues

Schizachyrium scoparium (Little Bluestem)

Image ID: 30464
Image by: Oglesby, Emily
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: SCSC
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Schizachyrium scoparium
Include in WOTAS: 0
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2018-09-25

CULTIVAR INDEX

Cult_id	Cultivar_name	Action
36	Blue Heaven	View
20	Prairie Blues	View
62	The Blues	View

GENUS INDEX

GENUS CODE: SCHIZ4
GENUS SCIENTIFIC: Schizachyrium
GENUS AUTHORITY: Nees
GENUS COMMON: Little bluestem
GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of about 60 species, widespread in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate regions of the World.
GENUS IDENTIFICATION:
GENUS REFERENCES: Wipff (1996a)=Z; Gandhi (1989)=Y; Wipff in FNA (2003a). Key based in part on Wipff in FNA (2003a).

FAMILY INDEX

FAMILY CODE: POACEA
FAMILY SCIENTIFIC: Poaceae
FAMILY AUTHORITY: (R. Brown) Barnhart 1895 or GRAMINEAE A.L. de Jussieu 1789
FAMILY COMMON: Grass Family
FAMILY SUMMARY: A family of about 771 genera and 12,074 species, herbs (and some shrubs and trees), cosmopolitan. Tribal classification largely follows FNA (2003a, 2007a), with some changes based on subsequent research, as for instance in the Chloridoideae (Peterson, Romaschenko, & Johnson 2010a).
FAMILY REFERENCE: Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2003a, 2007a)=FNA; Hitchcock and Chase (1950)=HC; Blomquist (1948); Peterson, Romaschenko, & Johnson (2010a, 2010b). Key to genera adapted in large part from FNA.

NCBG DESCRIPTIVES

INTRO:
STEMS:
LEAVES:
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS:
FRUITS:
COMMENTS:
HEIGHT: 2-3 ft.

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Grass/Grasslike

LEAF ARRANGEMENT: Alternate
LEAF COMPLEXITY: Simple
LEAF RETENTION:

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY:
BLOOM TIME: June-December

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
					x	x	x	x	x	x	x

BLOOM COLOR: Downy Silver plumes

White	Red	Pink	Orange	Yellow	Green	Blue	Lavender	Purple	Violet	Brown	Not Applicable
x					x					x

FRUITING PERIOD:

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE:
NATIVE RANGE: throughout U.S. & Canada

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text: Little bluestem is a common grass found throughout eastern United States and is an ideal choice for low maintenance landscaping and erosion control. It is best planted in mass or tucked between other native perennials and works in both formal and informal landscapes. Its unique, blue-green foliage will stand out in any setting. Leave it standing in winter and cup back in spring to encourage fresh new growth. This plant thrives in hot dry sites where other plants have a hard time surviving.

Bloom Table Text:

NCBG Location:

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE: Dry
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Sun
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 3
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 9
GERMINATION CODE:
WILDLIFE VALUE: Butterfly Friendly, Bird Friendly
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id	acc_num	acc_dt	coll_id	Action
300	2011-0164	2011-07-09	304	View
1892	1986-1673			View
4233	1992-0389			View
7201	1999-0163	1999-11-10		View
7349	2000-0086	2000-03-14		View
7350	2000-0087	2000-03-14		View
7393	2000-0136	2000-04-05		View
7692	2001-0046	2001-04-25		View
8126	2004-0135	2006-05-19		View
8147	2004-0157	2006-05-19		View
8867	2011-0074	2011-04-28	1878	View
9023	1996-0216	0000-00-00	1465	View
9361	2020-0052	2021-03-15	2452	View
9438	2021-0070	2021-07-01	304	View

GRIM COLLECTIONS

Coll_id	Project	Collection date	Collector	Action
304	HORT	2010-11-12	Poythress	View
549	SOS	2015-10-14	Driskill	View
630	SOS	2015-11-12	Maynard	View
782	SOS	2016-10-04	Walker	View
788	SOS	2016-10-06	Flood	View
799	SOS	2016-10-06	Faucette	View
1439	HORT	2006-01-01	Bryan	View
1465	HORT	1996-11-12		View
1878	HORT	2011-03-30	Gocke	View
2452	HORT	2020-05-22	Stern	View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num	acc_id	loc_num	pers_num	inst_dt	Action
711	300	111	NCBG staff	2011-07-15	View
713	300	23	Steen	2011-11-03	View
974	8867	41	NCBG staff	2011-04-21	View
975	8867	40	Mixon	2011-10-03	View
2988	1892	64	NCBG staff	1984-03-11	View
6561	4233	200	NCBG staff	1993-03-01	View
9296	9023	142	NCBG staff	1996-11-12	View
10147	7201	123	NCBG staff	1967-01-01	View
10325	7349	175	NCBG staff	2000-03-08	View
10326	7350	175	NCBG staff	2000-03-08	View
10387	7393	143	NCBG staff	1999-08-15	View
10880	7692	200	NCBG staff	1967-12-01	View
11379	8126	200	NCBG staff	2003-03-03	View
11401	8147	200	NCBG staff	2003-02-14	View
12566	9361	230	Wait	2020-06-23	View
12567	9361	231	Wait	2020-06-23	View
12667	0	19	Liloia	0000-00-00	View
12687	0	16	Liloia	0000-00-00	View
12773	9438	23	Liloia	0000-00-00	View
12811	0	15	Liloia	0000-00-00	View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: SCSC
USDA Common Name: Little Bluestem
Native Status: L48 (N), HI (I), CAN (N)
Distribution: USA (AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY), CAN (AB, BC, MB, NB, NS, ON, QC, SK)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Graminoid

NATIONAL WETLAND INDICATOR STATUS

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FACU		FACU		FACU	FACU	UPL	FACU	FACU	FACU

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2016 National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.3 (Lichvar, R.W., D.L. Banks, W.N. Kirchner, and N.C. Melvin. 2016. The National Wetland Plant List: 2016 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2016-30: 1-17. Published 28 April 2016. ISSN 2153 733X). Regions: AGCP-Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, AK-Alaska, AW-Arid West, CB-Caribbean, EMP-Eastern Mountains and Piedmont, GP-Great Plains, HI-Hawaii, MW-Midwest, NCNE-Northcentral and Northeast, WMCV-Western Mountains, Valleys & Coast

WEAKLEY FLORA

SCIENTIFIC NAME:
COMMON NAME:
SYNONYMY:
PHENOLOGY:
HABITAT:
COMMENTS:
RANGE MAP:

Key to Map Symbols

ABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora)
Poaceae (R. Brown) Barnhart 1895 or GRAMINEAE A.L. de Jussieu 1789 (Grass Family)
SUMMARY: A family of about 771 genera and 12,074 species, herbs (and some shrubs and trees), cosmopolitan. Tribal classification largely follows FNA (2003a, 2007a), with some changes based on subsequent research, as for instance in the Chloridoideae (Peterson, Romaschenko, & Johnson 2010a).
REFERENCE: Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2003a, 2007a)=FNA; Hitchcock and Chase (1950)=HC; Blomquist (1948); Peterson, Romaschenko, & Johnson (2010a, 2010b). Key to genera adapted in large part from FNA.

ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora)
Schizachyrium Nees (Little bluestem)
SUMMARY: A genus of about 60 species, widespread in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate regions of the World.
REFERENCE: Wipff (1996a)=Z; Gandhi (1989)=Y; Wipff in FNA (2003a). Key based in part on Wipff in FNA (2003a).

HERBARIUM RESOURCES

SERNEC: Find Schizachyrium scoparium in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Schizachyrium scoparium in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

USDA: Find Schizachyrium scoparium in USDA Plants
NPIN: Find Schizachyrium scoparium in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Schizachyrium scoparium in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Schizachyrium scoparium

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 30464 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 17141 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 17142 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 30464 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)