Big bluestem facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Big bluestem
Conservation status
Secure (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Genus:	Andropogon
Species:	gerardi

Big bluestem is a tall grass with several nicknames like turkeyfoot and tall bluestem. It grows naturally in the Great Plains and other grassy areas of central and eastern North America.

What is Big Bluestem?

Big bluestem is a type of grass that lives for many years (a perennial). It grows best in warm weather (a warm-season grass) and forms clumps (a bunchgrass). It can grow well in many different kinds of soil.

Its main roots can go very deep, about 6 to 10 feet (1.8 to 3 meters)! The plants also send out strong, tough underground stems called rhizomes. These help the grass form a very strong, thick layer of roots and soil called sod.

Depending on the soil and how much water it gets, big bluestem can grow from 3 to 10 feet (1 to 3 meters) tall. The bottom part of its stem often turns blue or purple as it gets older.

Flowers and Seeds

Big bluestem flowers in the summer and produces seeds in the fall. Its flower cluster (called an inflorescence) looks a bit like a wild turkey's foot. It usually has three narrow, spike-like branches (called racemes) at the top of the stem.

Each of these branches has pairs of tiny flowers called spikelets. One spikelet in the pair has a stalk and is usually sterile (cannot make seeds). The other spikelet is stalkless and usually has a fertile flower (with both male and female parts) and a stiff bristle called an awn.

Where it Grows (Ecology)

Big bluestem is an important grass in prairies and other grasslands. It grows in tall, thick patches that can sometimes take over from other plants. These patches keep growing until something like a fire or animals grazing stops them.

This grass does not like shade and is very good at surviving fire.

Animal Visitors

Many butterflies use big bluestem as a home for their young (larvae). These include:

• Arogos skipper
• Byssus skipper
• Cobweb skipper
• Common wood-nymph
• Delaware skipper
• Dusted skipper

How People Use Big Bluestem

For Farms

Big bluestem is good food (called forage) for horses and cattle. Farmers can also cut it and use it to make hay for animals to eat later. This grass has a lot of protein, which is good for animals. Even though it's not always considered the very best food for animals, it's still a very important grass for ranchers and people who study grasslands.

For Gardens and Nature

Many plant nurseries grow big bluestem because it can handle dry weather (drought tolerance) and is native to the area. People often plant it in wildlife gardens, for natural landscaping, and in projects to bring back natural grassland habitats.

For Energy

Because big bluestem grows very big and thick (high biomass), scientists are looking at it as a possible source for making ethanol. Ethanol is a type of fuel that can be used in cars.

Symbols

Andropogon gerardi is the official state grass of Illinois and Missouri. It is also the official prairie grass of Manitoba, a province in Canada.

Images for kids

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  New growth in May at the Berlin Botanical Garden

• 

  The flower cluster in bloom

• 

  A close-up of the spike-like raceme showing the pairs of spikelets.

See also

In Spanish: Andropogon gerardii para niños