bushy bluestem
Andropogon glomeratus · Poaceae
bushy bluestem (Andropogon glomeratus) 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 4 and warmer, down to about -23°F.
At a glance
| Type | graminoid USDA |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | native USDA |
| Mature height | 6.3 ft USDA |
| Light | full-sun USDA |
| Water need | high USDA |
| Growth rate | moderate USDA |
| Soil pH | 5–6.3 USDA |
| Bloom | August–September USDA |
| Flower color | White USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 4 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 needs consistently moist ground. Its drought tolerance is rated low. It tolerates saturated, poorly drained ground well (USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance high). It is recorded on soils from pH 5 to 6.3 — acidic ground. Its cold limit is zone 4.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 6.3 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 August through September. Flowers are white.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green, fine in texture. Its flowers are not conspicuous — a plant for form and foliage. It carries conspicuous autumn colour. Its active growth period is summer. USDA rates its lifespan as moderate.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 35 to 70 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 160 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 12 inches. Fertility requirement: low — no feeding needed on ordinary garden soil.
Propagating it
Propagate it from seed and sprigs. USDA records no cold-stratification requirement, so seed should germinate without a chilling period. Its seed spreads at a moderate rate. It does not spread vegetatively, so it will stay where you put it.
Resilience and wildlife
Browsing animals find it moderately palatable, so expect deer and rabbits to take an interest. Its fire tolerance is rated medium. 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
- big bluestem Andropogon gerardii
- sand bluestem Andropogon hallii
- splitbeard bluestem Andropogon ternarius
- broomsedge bluestem Andropogon virginicus
Similar role and hardiness
- hazel alder Alnus serrulata
- giant cane Arundinaria gigantea
- devil's walkingstick Aralia spinosa
- desert willow Chilopsis linearis
- green hawthorn Crataegus viridis
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol ANGL2, 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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