Excellent forage grass for grazing or hay, but can easily be killed by over grazing. It can provide good cover for wildlife. Adapted to a wide range of soils, will survive moderately wet bottomlands, but also does well with as little as 18 inches of annual rainfall. One of the Big 4 Prairie Grasses.
Scaly rhizomes are 1 to 2 inches below the soil surface, with the main roots extending to 10 feet. It can grow 6-8 feet tall, generally shorter in the northern range and taller in the southern. Leaf blades range from 0.5-2 feet long. Seed heads consist of 2-6 (usually 3) blooming racemes resembling a turkey foot. Flowering can range from July-October.
The fluffy seeds are oblong, less than 0.25 inches long. Does well in full sun or partial shade ab dub low fertility. Big bluestem grows best in moist, well-drained sandy and clay loam soils. It is a major component of the tall grass vegetation that dominated the prairies of the central and eastern United States. It is a common grass in the understory of longleaf pine communities of the southeastern U.S.
Alternate Names: Bluejoint, Bluejoint beardgrass, poptillo gigante, turkeyfoot.
Uses
Erosion control: Critical area seeding, roadside cover, and areas subject to wind erosion.
Livestock: High quality forage. Crude protein content up to 16-18% during the growing season, dropping below 6% in late summer. Generally grown for pasture and hay production, singly or in mixes.
Ethnobotanics: The roots are used as a diuretic and to alleviate stomach pains. Leaf blade extracts are used as a wash for fevers or as an analgesic.
Landscaping: Used in wildflower meadows and as a border or accent in native gardens.
Pollinators: Constitutes part of the native plant community in support of pollinators.
Restoration: Used in restoration of native prairie areas and longleaf pine understory.
Wildlife: Browsed by white-tailed deer and American bison. In native mixes it provides nest, brood and escape cover for bobwhite quail. Songbirds, prairie chicken, and small mammals consume big bluestem seed.
| Grow Height | Cold Tolerance | Minimum Rainfall |
Planting Rate Acre |
| 2-6′ | High | 22″ | 5-8 Pls. |
| Weight | 1 lbs |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 6 × 6 × 6 in |
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