Grass and Bamboo: Little Bluestem, 3 by Rickwebb

Rickwebb wrote:
My favorite ornamental grass is Little Bluestem, Schizachyrium scoparium, native to much of eastern North America. It is has blue-green foliage color that can be quite blue and it develops an orange autumn color. There are some cultivars selected for more blue color as 'The Blues'.The first two shots are a planting at the Gaylord building in Lockport, Illinois in August of 2013. The next three are in my yard of rounded clumps in June, fall color in October, and winter appearance in January. It is easy to grow and dig up to move or transplant if necessary. It is soft and feels good. They start in spring as rounded clumps and in early July send up their flowering grass stalks to get about 4 feet high. They often fall over some later in summer, but in autumn when they get more dry they straighten up again and hold up well through the winter. I like to cut away the tops of the plants and take them in as dried flower stuff or burn them in the vegetable garden in March. I then like to burn the stubble that is low to the ground to renew them also in March.