Big Bluestem

Big Bluestem is tall and stately, the archetypic plant of the prairies. This grass is a great replacement for non-native ornamental grasses, many of which invade surrounding habitats. Big Bluestem is a grass of many colors! Stems emerge bluish in spring. In summer, they turn green and are topped with purplish flowers. And in the fall, they turn a handsome red, bronze, and lavender. The seeds feed birds over the winter. This long-lived grass is a bit slow to start, but it may eventually need division to control its size in a smaller garden.

• Consider removing seedlings every so often to control spread
• Older plants may require some division to control overall size