andropogon gerardii : Big Bluestem

Andropogon gerardii:
Big Bluestem

Big Blue

Big Bluestem is the predominant grass of the Tallgrass Prairie Region. It once covered thousands of square miles from the Atlantic Ocean to the Rocky Mountains.

Its thin blades are green or silvery in summer, bronze red in the fall. The lower sheaths and leaves are usually fuzzy and very hairy. Smoky purple flower spikes and seed heads form at stem end in elegant sets of three, like the toes of a turkey foot, hence Big Bluestem is sometimes called Turkeyfoot grass.

Seed heads of the Big Bluestem, like toes on turkey feet, tower over the shorter grasses and wildflowers.

Height:	3 - 7 ft
Season of Growth:	Warm (mid-June - Sept)
Life Cycle:	Perennial
Propagation:	Easily from Seed

Big Bluestem prefers deep fertile soils, but it will grow on shallow well-drained soils.

It requires full to partial sun.

Wildlife Value
Nesting:	Good, however, it becomes very dense over time if not managed properly with haying or burning
Protective Cover:	Good. It stands well throughout the winter.
Food:	Fair. Plant is used by mammals and deer. Seeds are used by pheasants and some songbirds.

Big Bluestem is excellent forage for deer and cattle, but as a forage for cattle from July to September. It should be used in a rotational grazing system and should not be grazed below 8-12 inches. A rest before freezing is good to promote root storage, but it can be grazed after freezing when the plant is no longer growing.

Big Bluestem Price List
10,000 seeds / ounce
*Item #*	*Amount*	*Price*
AndGerP	Packet	$2
AndGerOz	Ounce	$2
AndGerLb	Pound	$12
(Grass prices change often -- Call for current prices)
To order Big Bluestem, Call (515) 733-4634 Or Order by Mail: Order Form

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	Iowa Prairie Seed Company 911 Elm Avenue Story City, Iowa 50478 (515) 733-4634	Email: rbbunn@iowatelecom.net
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