Schizachyrium scoparium / Little Bluestem 'Standing Ovation'

Schizachyrium scoparium / Little Bluestem, an ornamental grass native to Eastern North America, was one of the dominant grasses of the great Bison prairie ecosystem which created the deep, rich top soils of the Midwest. Little Bluestem is a good plant for climate change (climate chaos) challenges, tolerating drought, dry rocky soils, and hot weather, but also handling periods of inundation, all while protecting the soil from erosion. Plant Schizachyrium scoparium in full sun and dry to medium moist soils. Little Bluestem provides great bird and insect habitat to your landscape, growing 2 to 4 feet tall and 1.5 to 2 feet wide, and features bronze and purple flowers that eventually turn into beautiful wispy silver seed heads that often persist through the wintertime. This plant can tolerate deer browse and Juglone, the allelopathic organic compound produced by Black Walnut trees that kills competing plants. 'Standing Ovation' is a particularly vigorous cultivar that is otherwise very similar in size and habit to the straight species.