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Andropogon gerardii
Big Blue Stem (Turkey Foot Bluestem)
A tall prairie grass with blue-green foliage, changing to silvery-blue, and then to bronze-red in the fall. Drought tolerant, it will grow in a wide range of soils. Flowers have distinctive, three-part heads which resemble a turkey's foot.
- » Dense, slightly arching clump of blue-green leaves
- » Leaves turn a bronze-red in the fall and colour remains through the winter months
- » Three-pronged burgundy-purple seed heads are held on sturdy stems
- » Seed heads start to appear in late summer and persist through fall
- » Bloom Time: Early autumn into winter
- » Flower Height: 200 cm
- » Foliage Height: 150 cm
- » Grass Type: Warm Season
Exposure
| • | Full Sun |
Growth Rate
| • | Medium |
Critter
| • | Deer Resistant |
Attributes
| • | Native to Ontario |
| • | Cut Flower/Foliage |
| • | Dried Flower/Foliage |
| • | Drought Tolerant |
| • | Evergreen |
| • | Fall Color |
| • | Heat Tolerant |
| • | Long Blooming |
| • | Low Maintenance |
Planting instructions
| • | Container Plants |
Additional Information about Andropogon gerardii
Warm Season Grasses: These grasses are much slower starting in the spring. They do not push new growth until temperatures warm in early to midsummer. They flower later in the summer or fall with most blooms remaining into the winter. Most warm season grasses tolerate heat, humidity and drought; some even thrive in these conditions.
Growing & Maintenance Tips for Andropogon gerardii
Grows best in an average to dry, well-drained soil, in full sun, tolerating drought, once established. Thrives in summer heat and humidity. This plant should be cut back in the spring to make way for new growth.