Anatherum virginicum
broomsedge bluestem
Overview
Anatherum virginicum, broomsedge bluestem, is a perennial warm-season bunchgrass that forms upright clumps 2-4 feet (0.6-1.2 m) tall. Its slender, folded blue-green leaves and stems shift to a warm coppery orange-tan in fall and hold that color through much of winter, making the dried clumps conspicuous in open fields. From late summer into fall, paired spikelets wrapped in leafy sheaths line the upper stems and open into tufts of white, silky hairs that carry the seed on the wind. The grass is native across the eastern and central United States, where it pioneers dry, poor, acidic, and disturbed ground such as abandoned fields, roadsides, and worn pastures. It tolerates drought, low fertility, and compacted soil that many plants will not grow in, but it seeds prolifically and can crowd out slower species, and it has naturalized as a weed well outside its range. Forage value is low because livestock find the mature foliage coarse and unpalatable. In gardens it is grown for its winter color and movement and for the cover and seed it gives to birds, with the understanding that it self-sows freely.
Native Range
Anatherum virginicum is native to the eastern and central United States, extending from southern New England west to the Great Plains and south through Florida and Texas into the West Indies and Central America. It occupies dry, sterile, often disturbed ground including old fields, clearings, and roadside banks.Suggested Uses
Anatherum virginicum is used in meadow and prairie restorations, on erosion-prone banks, and in native grass plantings grown for winter color. It gives cover and seed to birds and supports several skipper butterfly larvae.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height2' - 4'
Width/Spread1' - 2'
Bloom Information
Flowering and seed set run from late August through November, the silky white seed hairs showing most clearly in low autumn light. The dried flower stems and coppery foliage remain standing into winter. Wind disperses the seed over several weeks.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
blue-green, coppery orange-tan in fallGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-10 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Grow Anatherum virginicum in full sun in dry to moderately moist soil of low fertility, with an acidic to neutral pH of about 4.5 to 6.5. It withstands drought, poor sandy or clay soils, and compaction, and needs no fertilizer; rich soil only encourages floppy growth. Plants grow as warm-season grasses, greening up in late spring and going dormant after frost. Self-sown seedlings appear readily, so spent seed heads can be cut before dispersal where spread is a concern. Established clumps need no irrigation in most regions.Pruning
Cut the clumps back to a few inches above the ground in late winter before new growth begins. Removing the seed heads in late fall limits self-seeding. No other pruning is required.Pruning Schedule
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
winter