Little Bluestem Grass

Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium 'Standing Ovation') is an upright ornamental grass that stands 1.2m tall on a base only 50cm across, and stays vertical instead of collapsing outward. It was selected for exactly that habit. Blue toned summer blades turn copper and bronze through autumn, and the dried stems hold that colour well into winter.

Why you'll love it

• It stays standing. Most ornamental grasses splay open after heavy rain or wind. This selection holds stiff upright stems, so the clump keeps its column.
• Autumn colour that lingers. The blue green summer foliage shifts to copper, bronze and russet, and the seed heads catch low light for months.
• Tall and narrow. At 1.2m high and 50cm wide it adds height to a bed without taking up floor space.
• Genuinely tough. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, wind tolerant and perfectly happy in poor soil.

Where it works best

Mass planting and meadow style beds. Plant 50cm apart for a drift. At that spacing the clumps read as a continuous band of movement while each one keeps its own outline.

Borders, rockeries and feature planting. A single clump makes a vertical accent beside stone or paving, and repeated down a border it gives rhythm to an otherwise flat bed.

Growing Little Bluestem in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, with no compromise: shade is the one thing that makes it lean. It suits warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and arid or semi arid gardens and takes hard frost without damage. Humid subtropical and tropical gardens are not its country.

Soil. Lean and free draining is ideal. It performs better in poor sandy ground than in a rich improved bed, where soft growth undoes the upright habit.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer to establish, then leave it to rainfall in most seasons. Skip fertiliser altogether, or give one light spring dressing at most.

Pruning. Cut the whole clump back to about 10cm in late winter, before new growth begins. That single job is the only maintenance it asks for.

What to expect when it arrives

This grass is sold as tube stock, so plants arrive as small young clumps. Tubes are the standard way the species is grown and planted: the fine root system establishes fast, and a tube usually reaches close to full size by the end of its second growing season.

It dies back over winter, so a plant delivered in the cooler months may arrive cut down and dormant with very little top growth. That is normal and not a fault. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read our guide to designing with ornamental grasses.
• Compare the full range of grasses and strappy leaf plants.
• Browse other plants with strong autumn colour.
• See more drought tolerant planting options.

Common questions

Will it flop over?

Not if you give it full sun and lean soil. Flopping in this species is caused by shade or rich feeding, both of which push soft growth. Planted hard and left hungry, it holds itself upright.

How far apart should I plant it?

Space plants 50cm apart for a meadow style drift. For a single feature clump, allow 70cm of clear space so the shape is visible from every side.

When should I cut it back?

Late winter, to about 10cm. Leave the dried stems standing through autumn and early winter, because that is when the colour is at its best.