Let's take a closer look at Illinois' state grass

Big Bluestem, Andropogon gerardii, is one of three dominant grasses of the tallgrass prairie. Besides prairies, it can also be found in savannas and along roadsides. It is often 6-8 feet tall when fully grown. It is a warm-season grass, meaning it puts out much of its growth and flowers in the heat of the summer.

Is it blue?

Although it has the name bluestem, the stem really looks more red than blue. The leaves can also be orange to reddish in color. While grass stems tend to be round, the stems of Big Bluestem are a bit flattened, which you can feel if you try to roll the stem between your fingers.

Looking at the collar region (where the leaf blade joins the stem), there are often sparse hairs and a short, membranous ligule.

Turkeyfoot

The flowering head of this grass is pretty distinctive with its turkey foot shape, which leads to its other common name, Turkeyfoot. The inflorescence is a raceme made up of finger-like clusters of spikelets. If you catch it in bloom, you can see yellow anthers exserted (pushed out) of the spikelets. You can also see the stigmas, which look like feathers, that are white to pink in color.

Wildlife value

When it comes to supporting insects, some of our native grasses, Big Bluestem included, are used as host plants by skipper butterflies. This means the caterpillars of skippers will eat grass leaves. Grasshoppers also eat the leaves. Besides insects, the seeds produced can be eaten by sparrows, and Big Bluestem is a good forage grass for hooved mammals.

Planting recommendations

While Big Bluestem is widely available at native plant nurseries, be intentional about where you plant it. It’s widely used in prairie restorations, although seeding in a little often goes a long way. If you desire flowering plants in your restoration, establish those for a few years before adding in the grasses. 

For the home landscape, save Big Bluestem for a border, an edged spot in your home garden, or an area that is mowed around regularly (think about those tall, statement grasses in front yards), so it doesn’t spread and push out other plants.