Little bluestem is a native perennial bunch grass with flowering stalks reaching 1–4 feet tall. A warm-season grass, it does most of its growth during the hottest part of summer.
Leaves are green, about ¼ inch wide; the bases are typically bluish, hence the name. In fall, the leaves turn coppery.
Flowering stems branch toward the tip, rising above the leaves; flower clusters are soft, usually somewhat curved, 1–3 inches long; when mature they are tan or grayish white and fluffy.
Flower heads develop August–October.
Little bluestem is a highly variable species that, in the past, has been divided into many varieties, forms, and subspecies. Sometimes the differences are striking from site to site and even within a single population; some plants are bluish gray with a waxy coating while others are green and lack the coating. The amount of hairiness can vary, too, among other traits.
For more information about Missouri's grasses, see their group page.
Height: flowering stems 1–4 feet.
Common nearly statewide; absent from parts of the Bootheel lowlands.
Habitat and Conservation
Occurs in upland prairies, glades, savannas, and openings of dry upland forests; also in old fields, fallow fields, pastures, roadsides, railroads, and dry, open, disturbed areas.
Status
Native Missouri warm-season bunch grass.
Human Connections
This grass species is considered highly desirable both as fodder for livestock and for production of hay.
Long ago, ranges in Kansas and Oklahoma that were dominated by little bluestem were important stopping points on cattle drives. Stockyards and railheads developed in places rich with excellent grasses, where cattle could be fattened. Thus little-bluestem habitats influenced the transportation routes and towns ("cowtowns") that developed in those regions.
The pollen of little bluestem is considered a source of hay fever in areas where this grass grows commonly.
At first frost, little bluestem turns copper-colored, and it contributes greatly to fall color along roadsides and in grassy, open places.
Ecosystem Connections
Little bluestem is a major component of tallgrass prairie and glade habitats. Just as trees dominate woodland and forest communities, grasses dominate prairies, glades, and savannas. This means that a large variety of native animals and plants rely on little bluestem and associated grasses for their existence.
Relatives: Within the large and diverse grass family, little bluestem is included in the same tribe as corn, sorghum, big bluestem, Indian grass, gama grass, and silver grass (Miscanthus — an Asian grass popular in landscaping).
