Andropogon scoparius
Little bluestem
Old nomenclature, Andropogon scoparius. Warm season, moderately drought tolerant, long-lived perennial bunchgrass with deep fibrous root system. Adapted to a wide range of soils but intolerant of wetlands or sub-irrigated sites. Provides good palatability to livestock and wildlife. Useful for improving rangelands and stabilizing a wide variety of soils including sands.
Varieties
Pastura A true green and fairly uniform variety with excellent seedling vigor. Pastura was developed from a high elevation, low-moisture site, and is adapted to climatic extremes. Produces average amounts of high quality forage. (Released 1963, source of ecotype: Pecos, NM)
Release Notice
Camper Moderately late maturing, selected from numerous accessions. Recommended for NE, CO and WY.
Cimarron A broad-based variety selected for leafiness, disease resistance and seed production. It is non-uniform but generally produces tall, blue-green forage. Cimarron plants produce forage with high protein content and dry matter digestibility. (Released 1979, source of ecotype: collections from KS, OK, CO, NM)
Release Notice
Aldous A tall, leafy, vigorous strain which is medium-late in maturity and more uniform than common accessions. Produces abundant forage, somewhat resistant to rust. Recommended for use in KS and OK. (Released 1966, source of ecotype: Flinthills, KS)
Release Notice
Itasca A relatively short variety developed for its cold hardiness and seed production capability in northern latitudes. Early maturing variety with outstanding vigor and abundant foliage. (Released 2001, source of ecotype: Itasca State Park, MN)
Release Notice
Blaze Selected for late maturity, leafiness, seed production and seedling vigor. Develops into a medium-tall plant with good forage productivity. (Released 1967, source of ecotype: native prairies of NE and KS)
| Variety | Aldous | Blaze | Camper | Cimarron | Itasca | Pastura |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group | Monocot | Monocot | Monocot | Monocot | Monocot | Monocot |
| US Native | Native | Native | Native | Native | Native | Native |
| Life Form | Perennial | Perennial | Perennial | Perennial | Perennial | Perennial |
| Plant Type | Graminoid | Graminoid | Graminoid | Graminoid | Graminoid | Graminoid |
| Active Growth Period | Summer Fall | Summer Fall | Summer Fall | Summer Fall | Summer Fall | Summer Fall |
| Bloom Season | Late Summer | Late Summer | Fall | Late Summer | Summer | Late Summer |
| Mature Height (feet) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Flower Color | Yellow | Yellow | Yellow | White | Yellow | White |
| Foliage Color | Gray-Green | Green | Gray-Green | Gray-Green | Gray-Green | Green |
| Fertility Needs | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low |
| Toxicity | None | None | None | None | None | None |
| Fine Soil (adapted) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Medium Soil (adapted) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Coarse Soil (adapted) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Salinity Tolerance | None | None | None | None | None | None |
| Shade Tolerance | Intolerant | Intolerant | Intolerant | Intolerant | Intolerant | Intolerant |
| Moisture Requirements | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low |
| Fire Resistant | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Fire Tolerance | Medium | Medium | Medium | Medium | Medium | Medium |
| Seed Period Start | Summer | Fall | Fall | Summer | Summer | Summer |
| Seed Period End | Fall | Fall | Fall | Fall | Fall | Fall |
| Seed / lb | 240670 | 240670 | 240670 | 240670 | 240670 | 240670 |
| Seedling Vigor | Low | Medium | Low | Low | Low | High |
| Palatable (browser) | Medium | Medium | Medium | Medium | Medium | Medium |
| Palatable (grazer) | Medium | High | High | High | High | High |