Page 13 - Native Seeds Catalog Flip Book

Bluestem, Little
(Andropogon scoparius)
Little Bluestem is a native warm season perennial, medium height grass. Growth begins in early April, growing two to three feet tall. Planting rate is 3 1⁄2 to 4 1⁄2 pure live seed pounds per acre 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 inch deep. The seed are chaffy and require a chaffy grass drill to be planted accurately.
The dense root system may reach five to eight feet in depth. It spreads by seeds, til- lers and short underground rootstocks.
The flat blueish colored leaves become leathery brown at maturity. It provides nu- tritious grazing during the growing season and is a high forage producer. The seed
of Little Bluestem is small and fuzzy with twisted awns.
Little Bluestem is native to all of the United States with exception of California, Washington, Oregon and Nevada. It is found on most range sites in both low and high elevations, growing well on deep, shal- low, sandy, fine textured and rocky soils.
Little Bluestem provides excellent nesting habitat for ground-nesting birds due to it’s upright, vertical growth characteristics.