little bluestem "Prairie Blues"

Schizachyrium scoparium, commonly called little bluestem, is native to prairies, fields, clearings, hills, limestone glades, roadsides, waste areas and open woods from Alberta to Quebec south to Arizona and Florida. It was one of the dominant grasses of the vast tallgrass prairie region which once covered rich and fertile soils in many parts of central North America. It typically matures to 2-4' (less frequently to 5') tall, and features upright clumps of slender, flat, linear green leaves , with each leaf having a tinge of blue at the base. Purplish-bronze flowers appear  on branched stems rising above the foliage in August. Flowers are followed by clusters of fluffy, silvery-white seed heads which are attractive and often persist into winter. 'Prairie Blues' is grown for its foliage that is more consistently gray blue in colour when compared to the species. In fall it has fluffy silver seed heads that may persist into winter and rosy orange foliage. It grows 3 to 3.5 ft. tall and 1.5 to 2 ft. wide.