Native grasses: Little Bluestem

Our native grasses really don't get the attention they deserve. Little Bluestem and Indian grass are two of my favorites. They do reseed (that's what plants do), but they're beautiful, and support native insects and other wildlife.

Much nicer than the Miscanthus sinensis that's become invasive all over the Southeast, due to its excellent colonizing abilities (we saw this in its native habitat, in Northern Vietnam, spreading down a disturbed hillside).

Here's a lovely Little Bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium) in a greenway planting near the The Botanical Gardens at Asheville, a gem of a native plant garden now over 50 years old.

Comments

  1. Thanks, this is great! These are two grasses on "my list." Especially because of their wildlife value. (I confess I have 'Morning Light' but I don't think it is invasive in my part of the country.) Enjoyed!

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  2. I love this grass...I know it's in my yard naturally, but it does get mowed down! The miscanthus I planted years ago and replaced with panicum is still sprouting all over my garden beds...It is a terribly invasive thug and all the rain we had hasn't helped! gail

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  3. This is one of my fav native grasses too...around here it develops a really gorgeous burnished red fall stem color. It seems to grow in just about any condition - I have it in large pots, on a well drained hillside, and in a rain garden.
    Love how it reseeds and so do the Junco birds :-)

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