Standing Ovation Little Bluestem

Standing Ovation is the little bluestem that stays upright. The species has a habit of splaying open by late summer, particularly in richer soil, and Schizachyrium scoparium 'Standing Ovation' was selected for stiff stems that hold their column through the season and into winter. It grows 3 to 4 feet tall and 18 to 24 inches wide in full sun, hardy from Zone 3 through Zone 9, and reaches full size in its second year.

Color is what this grass does. Blue-green blades through summer, often with a purple cast at the base, turning to copper, orange, and deep russet in fall and holding that color all winter. Fluffy silver seedheads catch low light through the cold months.

Little bluestem is a larval host for several skipper butterflies, and sparrows and juncos feed on the seedheads through winter. Leave it standing until late winter for both the wildlife and the look, then cut it back before new growth starts.

This is a prairie grass and it wants lean conditions. Full sun, average to poor soil, good drainage, and no fertilizer. Rich soil and irrigation are what make bluestem flop, so the difficult dry spot is where it performs best. Deer leave it alone.