Andropogon gerardii
Big Bluestem
Please register or login to build your personal plant list.Big Bluestem is a tall, attractive, drought-tolerant native grass with colorful foliage and enormous benefits for wildlife.
Description:
Big Bluestem is a warm season perennial bunchgrass. Its attractive colorful foliage makes it an excellent native to replace any invasive ornamental grasses in your yard. Once established, the extensive root system offers substantial drought tolerance. It can withstand sandy soils, slight acidity and some salinity. It also offers deer resistance. Big Bluestem provides enormous value for wildlife, including birds, bees and butterflies!
Wildlife Value: Seeds provide food for birds including Grasshopper Sparrow and Henslow’s Sparrow. The vegetation provides cover and nesting material for Sedge Wren and Meadowlark. Native bees use the vegetation for nesting material and structural protection for their nests. Big Bluestem is a larval host plant for Delaware Skipper (Anatrytone logan) and Dusted Skipper (Atrytonopsis hianna) butterflies.
Plant Details:
Other Scientific Names: Andropogon gerardii
Other Common Names: Turkeyfoot
Plant Type: Grass
New Jersey Native: Yes
Bloom Times: Late Summer to Fall
Bloom Colors: Purple
Deer Resistance: Some
Attracts Pollinators and Wildlife: Bees and Other Pollinators, Butterflies, Birds
Salt Tolerance: Medium
Hardiness Zone: 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
Physiographic Region: All Regions in NJ
Soil Characteristics
Soil Type: Loam, Organic, Clay
Soil Moisture: Dry, Moist
Soil pH: Slightly Acidic, Neutral
Light Needs of Plant
Optimal Light: Full Sun
Light Range: Full Sun, Partial Shade
Water Needs of Plant
Soil Moisture: Dry, Moist
Drought Tolerance: Medium
Size and Growth Rate
Height: 4 - 8 ft
Spread: 2 - 3 ft
Growth Rate: Slow