NPSOT Logo
Join / Renew / Gift Donate Shop Member Portal Language
Search

Native Plant Society of Texas

Search
Close this search box.

Silver Bluestem

Bothriochloa laguroides var. torreyana

Other common name(s):

Silver Beardgrass, Silver Beard Grass

Family:

Poaceae (Grass Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

Central Great Plains, Chihuahuan Deserts, Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, High Plains, Southern Texas Plains, Southwestern Tablelands, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Broken Red Plains, Limestone Plains, Red Prairie
Chihuahuan Basins and Playas, Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands, Chihuahuan Montane Woodlands, Low Mountains and Bajadas, Stockton Plateau
Carbonate Cross Timbers, Eastern Cross Timbers, Grand Prairie, Limestone Cut Plain, Western Cross Timbers
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, Northern Post Oak Savanna, Northern Prairie Outliers, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands, Edwards Plateau Woodland, Llano Uplift, Semiarid Edwards Plateau
Coastal Sand Plain, Floodplains and Low Terraces4, Laguna Madre Barrier Island and Coastal Marshes, Lower Rio Grande Alluvial Floodplain, Lower Rio Grande Valley, Mid-Coast Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes, Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Southern Subhumid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Texas-Louisiana Coastal Marshes
Arid Llano Estacado, Canadian/Cimarron High Plains, Llano Estacado, Rolling Sand Plains, Shinnery Sands
Northern Nueces Alluvial Plains, Rio Grande Floodplain and Terraces, Semiarid Edwards Bajada, Texas-Tamaulipan Thornscrub
Canadian/Cimarron Breaks, Caprock Canyons Badlands Breaks, Flat Tablelands and Valleys, Semiarid Canadian Breaks
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Southern Tertiary Uplands, Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Grass & Sedge

Height

2
to
3
ft.

Spread

0.5
to
1
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Sand, Loam, Well Drained

Light Requirement

Sun

Water Requirement

Low

Native Habitat

Grassland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

White

Bloom Season

Spring, Summer, Fall

Seasonal Interest

Fall Color, Forage, Larval Host

Wildlife Benefit

Butterflies, Birds

Maintenance

Will flop over in too much shade. Propagation: Seed.

Comments

Clumping grass with silky flower puffs on vertical stems above the leaves; leaves are a dull green with a silvery white or light or tan appearance; can be used as an accent or in a prairie or meadow. In the wild it occurs on sand and sandy loam sites and other well-drained, moderately disturbed soils. Larval Host: Skippers, Satyrs.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Synonym(s): Bothriochloa laguroides ssp. torreyana, Andropogon saccharoides var. torreyanus, Dichanthium saccharoides subvar. torreyanum

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=BOLAT. 3) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=29035&locationType=County&mapType=Normal. 4) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=32984#null, 5) Hatch, Umphres, Ardoin, 2015, Field Guide to Common Texas Grasses, pg 72.

Download a 1 page PDF file for this plant, suitable for sharing, printing, and plant sales. Includes an ecoregion map, and a QR code back to this page.

Downloading PDFs only works on desktop browsers

You can favorite this plant and others and maintain a list of your favorite native plants below. You can also unfavorite a plant and clear your list. Click on a plant to go to it.

      No Favorites

Get in Touch

Contact the State

Contact a local Chapter

State Office Phone: 830.997.9272

State Office Address:
Native Plant Society of Texas
PO Box 3017
Fredericksburg, TX 78624

Become a Member

Become an important part of a statewide community with over 4,000 members, who are united in our mission to promote Texas native plants!

Join Us!

Stay Informed

To keep up with what’s new at the Native Plant Society of Texas, subscribe to the state office email list. We won’t share your information with anyone.

Subscribe
Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram Camera
Member Portal
Chapter Tool Chest
Admin Login

Native Plant Society of Texas is a 501(3)(c) nonprofit organization This website and all content Copyright © Native Plant Society of Texas. All rights reserved. Content may not be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission. Contact the Webmaster.