Summary ⁷

Schizachyrium scoparium, commonly known as little bluestem or beard grass, is a North American prairie grass native to most of the United States, except California, Nevada, and Oregon, and a small area north of the Canada–US border. Its greatest manifestation has always been in the Midwestern prairies. Little bluestem is a perennial bunchgrass and is prominent in tallgrass prairie, along with big bluestem (Andropogon gerardi), indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans

Description ⁸

Little bluestem grows to become an upright, roundish mound of soft, bluish-green or grayish-green blades in May and June that is about two to three feet high. In July, it initiates flowering stalks, which reach four to five feet in height. In fall, it displays a coppery or mostly orange color with tints of red or purple. Sometimes it displays in some places, as in sandy soils, a redder fall color. It becomes a more orangish-bronze in winter until early spring, when it becomes more tan.

Ecology ⁸

Little bluestem is drought tolerant, and is a larval host to the cobweb skipper, common wood nymph, crossline skipper, Dakota skipper, dusted skipper, Indian skipper, Leonard's skipper, Ottoe skipper, and swarthy skipper.

Read More ⁹

• https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SCSC
• https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=f510
• https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/grasses/plants/little_bluestem.htm

Sources and Credits

1. (c) USFWS Mountain-Prairie, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Little_Bluestem_(Andropogon_scoparius)_(6188871250).jpg
2. anonymous, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), https://eol.org/media/7646968
3. anonymous, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Andropogon_scoparius.jpg
4. (c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Andropogon_scoparius_(3904157742).jpg
5. (c) anonymous, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://eol.org/media/6741534
6. (c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Andropogon_scoparium_and_Andropogon_gerardii_(20480264444).jpg
7. Adapted by Murfreesboro,TN, Natural Resource Division from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizachyrium_scoparium
8. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizachyrium_scoparium
9. (c) Murfreesboro,TN, Natural Resource Division, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Calflora
• CalPhotos
• eFloras.org
• Flora of North America (beta)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Go Botany
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• Jepson eFlora
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• USDA PLANTS database
• VASCAN by Canadensys
• World Flora Online

iNat Map