Little bluestem is one of the shorter grasses in a prairie, growing to only 0.7 metres (2.2 ft). The flowering part of the plant (inflorescence) has a feathery appearance, hence its Latin name, scoparius, meaning broom. The young shoots are blue-green in colour, but the plant turns a rich mixture of tan, brown and wine-red in late summer and autumn. Little bluestem begins its growth late in the season and remains vigorous even in the extreme drought of late summer. The larval stages of many butterflies feed on its leaf blades including crossline, dusted, Indian and Leonards skipper.

Tallgrass Ontario

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