Poaceae

Little bluestem

Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash

Family: Poaceae
Genus: Schizachyrium

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Little bluestem: The spikelet pairs of little bluestem include a pedicellate spikelet that is reduced to a small narrow scale. — Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons

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Common names

By language (7)

Chinese: 小须芒草, 帚状裂稃草
Danish: Liden Præriegræs
English: Little bluestem
Finnish: Preeriahahtuheinä
Japanese: リトルブルーステム
nv: Tłʼoh deiłchiiʼí
Slovenian: Nizki obrad

Synonyms

Andropogon divergens (Hack.) Andersson ex Hitchc.
Andropogon flexilis Poir.
Andropogon halei Alph.Wood
Andropogon mederensis Swallen
Andropogon neomexicanus Nash
Andropogon praematurus Fernald
Andropogon praematurus f. hirtivaginatus Fernald
Andropogon praematurus f. praematurus
Andropogon preamaturus Fernald
Andropogon purpurascens Muhl. ex Willd.
Andropogon scoparius Michx.
Andropogon scoparius f. caesius Hack.
Andropogon scoparius f. calvescens Fernald
Andropogon scoparius f. scoparius
Andropogon scoparius f. serpentinus Hack.
Andropogon scoparius f. simplicior Hack.
Andropogon scoparius subsp. euscoparius Hack. ex Beal
Andropogon scoparius subsp. genuinus Hack.
Andropogon scoparius subvar. flexilis (Poir.) Hack.
Andropogon scoparius var. divergens Hack.
Andropogon scoparius var. flexilis (Bosc ex Poir.) Hack.
Andropogon scoparius var. frequens F.T.Hubb.
Andropogon scoparius var. genuinus Fernald & Griscom
Andropogon scoparius var. glaucescens House
Andropogon scoparius var. maritimus Hack. ex L.H.Dewey
Andropogon scoparius var. multirameus Hack. ex Gatt.
Andropogon scoparius var. neomexicanus (Nash) Hitchc.
Andropogon scoparius var. polycladus Scribn. & C.R.Ball
Andropogon scoparius var. scoparius
Andropogon scoparius var. septentrionalis Fernald & Griscom
Andropogon scoparius var. villosissimus Kearney
Andropogon scoparius var. virilis Shinners
Pollinia scoparia (Michx.) Spreng.
Schizachyrium acuminatum Nash
Schizachyrium neomexicanum (Nash) Nash
Schizachyrium praematurum (Fernald) C.F.Reed
Schizachyrium praematurum f. hirtivaginatum (Fernald) C.F.Reed
Schizachyrium scoparium f. calvescens (Fernald) C.F.Reed
Schizachyrium scoparium f. villosissimum (Kearney) C.F.Reed
Schizachyrium scoparium f. virile (Shinners) Gandhi & Smeins

and 11 more.

Flowers

In flower: August to November (from 84 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)
Flower colour: yellow (USDA PLANTS Database)

Characteristics

Growth habit: Graminoid
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Canada: native, Hawaii: introduced, Lower 48 states: native

Photos

Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: danderson703, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: monahan.mmaymo, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Amy VT USA, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: msmarph, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: monahan.mmaymo, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Zac Smith, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF

More in Schizachyrium

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.