See more native prairie plants for birds and butterflies here.
Little Bluestem Care Must-Knows
This ornamental grass is most commonly started from transplants purchased at the garden center. Don’t be surprised by the bedraggled appearance of the container-grown plants. Little bluestem thrives in deep soil and dry environments, and nursery sites rarely provide those conditions. Plant little bluestem in full sun and moist, well-drained soil, where its growth will be spreading and sodlike. In dry soil, this slow-growing, warm-season grass forms clumps. Once established, little bluestem clumps will slowly emerge in spring and grow 1 to 2 feet high. In late summer the stems elongate into flowering stems that sometimes reach 5 feet tall. Leave this perennial grass in the garden through winter where it will serve as a food source and shelter for wildlife. In early spring use hedge shears to cut it back to about three inches above the soil. Be patient; little bluestem won’t send up new foliage until late spring. Plant more of our top ornamental grasses in your garden.
