Bushy Bluestem

Andropogon glomeratus

Brushy Bluestem

Photo Credit: Courtesy of USDI Bureau of Land Management (BLM). United States, Nevada, Clark Co.. October 2003.

NPSOT, NTX, NLCP Level 3, Marie-Theres Herz; Herbarium Sheet

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map (hover for ecoregion names)

Native Habitat: Grassland, Woodland, Wetland or Riparian

Chihuahuan Deserts, Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain

Maintenance

Leave dead stems standing through Fall and Winter for insect habitat. Cut back dead stems in February before Spring growth.

Comments

Present along ditches, swales, and other poorly drained sites. This makes a dynamic display and is a nice addition for a wetland garden. Provides nesting cover for mottle ducks, as it occurs in lowlands and freshwater marshes. Provides cover for white-tailed deer fawns. Larval Host: Skippers and Satyrs.

Growth Form

Grass & Sedge

Height

3 to

6 ft

Spread

1 to

2 ft

Soil Type(s)

Sand, Loam, Clay, Poor Drainage, Moist

Light Requirement

Sun

Water Requirement

High

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Bloom Color

Brown

Bloom Season

Fall

Seasonal Interest

Seeds, Larval Host, Nesting Material

Wildlife Benefit

Butterflies, Birds, Small Mammals, Deer

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References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ANGL2. 3) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Andropogon+glomeratus&formsubmit=Search+Terms. 4) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=17684&locationType=County&mapType=Normal. 5) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=40454#null, 6) Hatch, Umphres, Ardoin, 2015, Field Guide to Common Texas Grasses, pg 51

Native Plant Society of Texas