big bluestem
Andropogon gerardii · Poaceae
big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) is a perennial grass or grass-like plant in the Poaceae family. It is native to North America. USDA records it as hardy in zone 6 and warmer, down to about -9°F.
At a glance
| Type | graminoid USDA |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | native USDA |
| Mature height | 7 ft USDA |
| Light | full-sun USDA |
| Water need | medium USDA |
| Growth rate | moderate USDA |
| Soil pH | 6.5–8.5 USDA |
| Bloom | June–August USDA |
| Flower color | Yellow USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 6 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | understory Derived |
| Nursery availability | Routinely Available USDA |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It needs full sun. USDA rates it as having moderate water needs. Its drought tolerance is rated high. It handles periodically wet ground (USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance medium). It is recorded on soils from pH 6.5 to 8.5 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 6.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 7 ft, making it a plant that will finish above head height. It grows at a moderate rate.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of June through August. Flowers are yellow.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green, medium in texture. Its flowers are not conspicuous — a plant for form and foliage. Its active growth period is summer. USDA rates its lifespan as long.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 20 to 55 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 190 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 20 inches. Fertility requirement: medium.
Propagating it
Seed is the only propagation method USDA lists. Division and cuttings are not listed as options. USDA records no cold-stratification requirement, so seed should germinate without a chilling period. Its seed spreads at a slow rate. It spreads vegetatively at a slow rate.
Resilience and wildlife
Browsing animals find it moderately palatable, so expect deer and rabbits to take an interest. Its fire tolerance is rated high. Its growth form is recorded as bunch.
Role in a guild
Understory. In a layered planting this is the layer beneath the canopy, tall enough to hold structure but shaded from above. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Others in Andropogon
- bushy bluestem Andropogon glomeratus
- sand bluestem Andropogon hallii
- splitbeard bluestem Andropogon ternarius
- broomsedge bluestem Andropogon virginicus
Similar role and hardiness
- may hawthorn Crataegus aestivalis
- Chinese magnolia Magnolia ×soulangiana
- star magnolia Magnolia stellata
- ravennagrass Saccharum ravennae
- Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol ANGE, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, Bloom, Bloom end, browse palatability, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, fire tolerance, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, Nursery availability, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, seed spread rate, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, Type, vegetative spread rate, Water need.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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