← Bedfellow

Big Bluestem

Andropogon gerardii

Also known as: Turkeyfoot

The iconic monarch of the tallgrass prairie, rising well over head height on stems topped with distinctive three-branched purplish seedheads resembling a turkey foot. Foliage turns striking shades of bronze and red in autumn, remaining standing through winter snows to provide vital wildlife cover.

Family

Poaceae

Type

grass

Lifespan

perennial

Height

7–7 ft

Spacing

2–3 ft apart

Light

sun, part shade

Soil moisture

dry, moist

Soil pH

neutral, alkaline

Bloom

August, September, October, November

Bloom colors

red, blue, brown

Wildlife value

songbirds, butterflies, larval host

Landscape uses

specimen, naturalizing

Native states

AL, AR, AZ, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV, WY