Plant database · Grass

Little bluestem

Schizachyrium scoparium

Upright, blue in summer, rust in fall. Leave it standing until March.

In a Salt Lake Valley yard

Little bluestem is a grass for full sun that needs low water once established, reaching 2–3 ft. Expect bloom august seed heads; copper fall color through winter. Hardy to USDA 3–9, which covers every neighborhood from the valley floor to the bench.

Plant in fall if you can. Water weekly the first summer, then taper. On drip, one or two emitters per plant is plenty; on a park strip, set it high in gravel so the crown stays dry in winter.