USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. 3 vols. Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York. Vol. 1: 115.
WILD SEED PROJECT IS OFFERING SEEDS, SO THIS SPECIES IS NOT A PRIORITY.
Where Commonly Found: Grasslands, woodlands, rock outcrops, prairies, cliffs, meadows, ledges, balds, ledges, wetland margins, CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT.
How to Identify:
(For unfamiliar words: Wikipedia Glossary of Botanical Terms).
Go Botany Key to Schizachrium scoparium
Missouri Botanical Garden webpage for Schizachrium scoparium
Flower: Coppery orange with red or purple tints.
Plant Type: Warm-season grass, bunching.
Leaf Type: Sheaths are strongly flattened (keeled), usually smooth, sometime hairy, narrow and up to 8″ long., ligule is a fringed membrane.
Seed Head: Single spikes about 1″ long, arising from upper leaf axils, appearing white and fluffy when mature, fertile split with bent, twisted awn, 1/4″-5/8″ attached to stalks, hairy.
Height: 1.5′ – 2′
Seed Collection: Strip when most spikes are fluffed out and shattering is just beginning., air dry, remove awns with brush, screen, store cool/dry or refrigerator.
Attracts: Nesting for Bees, Birds
Use: Garden, Rain Garden
Light: Full Sun to Part Sun
Hardiness Zone: 3 to 9 USDA Zone Map
Soils: Dry to Moist
Flower Time: Early August to Late September
Notes: Little Bluestem is an important native grass for wildlife that is beautiful in meadow plantings in mass, reseeds somewhat freely.
Native to all US (except OR, NV, CA). Biota of North America Program (BONAP) – North America Plant Atlas (NAPA).
Northeast Wild Seed Collectors 
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