Native Perennial Grass
Sun Exposure: Sun, Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist
Soil Type: Acid or calcareous sands, loams, and clays.
Height: 4' - 8'
Leaf color: Green or blue-green. Russet in winter.
Bloom Time: August - November
Bloom Color: Red, Blue, Brown
Tolerance: Drought Resistant, High Deer Resistance
Attracts: Butterflies (a large variety of skippers); Birds with seeds and nesting material; Native bees
Pollinator Benefits: Larval Host for Delaware Skipper and Dusted Skipper; excellent nesting materials for native bees
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Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) Also called Turkey Foot, Big Bluestem is a warm season, perennial bunchgrass with blue-green stems 4-8 ft. tall. The seedhead is usually branched into three parts and resembles a turkey’s foot. Fall color is maroonish-tan.
Big Bluestem is the star component of the "Big Four" native grass species that characterize the tallgrass prairies of central North America (the other three are Indiangrass [Sorghastrum nutans], Switchgrass [Panicum virgatum], and Little Bluestem [Schizachyrium scoparium]). It tends to be taller than the other species and was at one time very abundant. It can still get quite aggressive when it's established in a favorable, undisturbed location, but overgrazing and land destruction have reduced it to mere patches of its former range. Part of the problem is that cattle love it so much - some ranchers refer to it as "ice cream for cows" - and it cannot take concentrated grazing; the seasonal grazing of migratory bison is what it's evolved to cope with.
Big Bluestem needs more moisture to look its best than does Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), but it is quite drought-tolerant when in deep prairie soils because of its deep roots. If used in a garden, too much water, shade, or fertilizer can cause it to get top-heavy and fall over. It is moderately tolerant of acidity and salinity and can withstand periodic flooding and high water tables.
Source: www.wildflower.org