![]() ![]() Besides insects, the seeds produced can be eaten by sparrows, and Big Bluestem is a good forage grass for our hooved mammals. This means the caterpillars of skippers will eat grass leaves. When it comes to supporting insects, some of our native grasses, Big Bluestem included, are used as host plants by skipper butterflies. But if we look for the ligule, it is short and membranous. If we look to the collar region (where the leaf blade joins the stem), often you can find sparse hairs. Grass stems in general are round, but with Big Blue, when you roll the stem between your fingers, it is a bit flattened. ![]() Another feature I look for is the slightly flattened stem. The leaves can also be orange to reddish in color. Is it blue?Īlthough it has the name bluestem, the stem really looks more red than blue. It is a warm-season grass, meaning it puts out much of its growth and flowers in the heat of the summer. It is indeed large in size, often 6-8 feet tall when fully grown. Besides prairies, it can also be found in savannas and along roadsides. Big Bluestem came out as the winner in Illinois after a poll was sent to students across the state in the late 1980’s.īig Bluestem is one of three dominant grasses of the tallgrass prairie. Illinois’ state grassĭid you know that Illinois has an official state grass? Seventeen states across the country have designated a state grass, just like a state flower or tree. Let’s take a closer look at Big Bluestem, Andropogon gerardii. Today used extensively in prairie restorations, you can still see it growing along roadsides as well. Also called Turkeyfoot, it’s likely that even if you aren’t familiar with grasses, you’ve seen this one. This grass is a quintessential prairie grass that once covered Illinois. Pruning requirements of this plant are easy - leave it alone until later in the winter when it begins to lean over due to heavy snow.Most pictures and drawings of the tallgrass prairie feature one grass – Big Bluestem. Big bluestem does well in average to moist soils but will tolerate drier conditions. If you plant big bluestem in part shade, you may have problems with it falling over because there may be less vegetation surrounding it. Big bluestem is a native grass of the prairie states and was one of the most abundant grasses on the tallgrass prairies of Nebraska.īig bluestem prefers full sun but will grow in part shade. They will eat all of the big bluestem before they eat any other type of grass because it tastes so good to them, the way people will always find room to eat ice cream. Big bluestem also is known as an "ice cream grass" because wildlife and livestock relish this plant as a food source. All three of these big bluestem varieties would be an asset to any acreage landscape.īig bluestem is not only treasured by landscapers -wildlife and domestic animals love it as well. There also is a hybrid known as 'Silver sunrise.' It is a little shorter and more compact than big bluestem and has blue tinted foliage with more flower heads on it. ![]() 'Pawnee' has a nice red color for the fall, versus the tan for the standard big bluestem. There is a shorter variety that only gets about five to six feet tall, known as 'Pawnee'. Other than the standard Andropogon gerardii, you can get a couple of varieties to better suit your needs. Big bluestem flowers in July and the seeds will retain their shape throughout most of the winter. The most interesting part of this particular grass, those seed heads will last into the fall giving great interest to an otherwise dull fall garden. The flower is a grouping of two to four long strands of seeds that look like the claws on any bird's feet. In some places big bluestem is also called turkeyfoot due to the flower that looks like a turkey's foot. Big bluestem can grow up to 8 feet tall and can grow a clump up to 36 inches across. Big bluestem, Andropogon gerardii, is one of the more common grasses to use in a landscape setting because it is tall and has a very interesting seed head that lasts into the fall.īig bluestem is a warm season grass that is planted as a clump grass, which means that it does not spread very far out from the main plant. Because they don't have large, brightly colored, wonderfully fragrant flowers, people use grasses for fall interest and for a different texture than the usual annuals and perennials that are often planted. Grasses are utilized as accent pieces in a landscape. Grasses can be very beautiful and make very interesting focal points for your landscape in the fall and winter months.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |