
2022 PPA Perennial Plant of the Year – Little Bluestem & cultivars
The Perennial Plant Association, a professional association composed of growers, garden retailers, landscape designers, and horticultural educators, has selected Little Bluestem grass as the 2022 Perennial Plant of the Year. Due to the collective expertise of the professionals voting on this designation, we have high regard for this title and are pleased that a Wisconsin prairie native grass has been selected!
It was once the dominant prairie grass in Wisconsin and covered most of the plain states. As such, it is ideally adapted to our harsh Midwestern growing conditions. It is supremely cold tolerant and thrives in dry, low-fertility soil. As a matter of fact, moist soil or those rich in nutrients may cause this plant to lose its distinctive straight-and-narrow upright form.
Little Bluestem takes its name from the blue color cast on its foliage. Selections have been made over time and there are now a number of cultivars available that display consistent intense blue leaf color. When the temperature drops in autumn the color changes to a rich coppery red-bronze, often with purple overtones. This color will last throughout the winter.
Little Bluestem is notable for its very erect, vertical, upright growth habit. However, the straight species (Schizachyrium scoparium) can be prone to “flopping” when grown in rich soil. Newer cultivars have been selected that are resistant to this behavior. For most of the season, the basal foliage grows not much taller than 18”-24” but late in the season the flowering stems will emerge and can grow as tall as 48”, depending on the cultivar. When seeds are produced, the seed heads have a wispy appearance that gives the effect of illumination when backlit. These seeds are also utilized as a food source by native songbirds.
Little Bluestem is especially striking when planted en masse. It also combines beautifully with summer or fall-flowering perennials such Calamintha, Echinacea, Rudbeckia, Asters, Vernonia ‘Iron Butterfly’, and Sedums. Its blue foliage color makes it well suited to pairing with a backdrop of dark-colored foliage such as that of purple leaf Ninebark, Smokebush, or Weigela.
Little Bluestem in a Nutshell:
- Height: 24”-48”, varies by cultivar
- Spread: 18”-24”
- Growth form: Very vertical growth habit. May “flop” in overly rich soil.
- Hardiness Zones: 3-9
- Flowers: Insignificant flowers mature to decorative wispy seedheads
- Foliage Color: Green to blue during summer, changing to russet-red in autumn. Varies by cultivar.
- Light requirement: Full Sun
- Water Requirements: Dry to medium, well-drained soils. Tolerant of poor, dry soil. Avoid wet soils.
- Growth Rate: Moderate
- Maintenance: Low maintenance. Cut down to several inches in late winter/early spring, before new growth emerges. Resistant to deer & rabbit browsing
- Especially valuable for:
- Vertical accent
- Winter interest
- Mass plantings
- Native gardens
- Dry sites
*Each year the Perennial Plant Association (PPA) designates one perennial as the “Perennial Plant of the Year”. Selection is based on multiple seasons of interest, suitability for a wide range of climates, low maintenance, pest & disease resistance, and ease of propagation. If you want to create an attractive, long-blooming garden of reliable perennials the PPA’s list of Past Winners is an excellent starting point. With very few exceptions these are outstanding garden plants.
Read more about natives in Why Grow Wisconsin Native Plants?
by Zannah Crowe