Species Native to Missouri
Common Name: silver bluestem
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Poaceae
Native Range: Southeastern United States
Zone: 6 to 10
Height: 3.00 to 4.00 feet
Spread: 1.00 to 2.00 feet
Bloom Time: August to November
Bloom Description: Silvery white to pale tawny brown
Sun: Full sun
Water: Dry to medium
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Naturalize, Rain Garden
Flower: Showy
Leaf: Good Fall
Attracts: Birds
Other: Winter Interest
Tolerate: Drought, Erosion, Clay Soil, Dry Soil, Shallow-Rocky Soil
Culture
Best grown in full sun and evenly moist to dry, well-draining, sandy or silty loams. Tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions including dry, clayey, gravely, and poor soils. Tolerant of drought once established. Hardy in Zones 6-10. May be hardy in Zone 5 with a protected site. Cut back in late winter or early spring to make room for new growth. Propagate through division of tillers or by seed.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Andropogon ternarius, commonly called silver bluestem or splitbeard bluestem, is a warm-season, clump-forming, perennial grass species native to the southeastern United States and northeastern Mexico from the Mid-Atlantic coastal plain south through peninsular Florida and west to Kansas, eastern Oklahoma, eastern Texas, and Coahuila, Mexico. It can be found growing in prairies, fields, pastures, woodland openings, disturbed areas, and along roadsides. Mature clumps will reach 3-4' tall and spread by short rhizomes to fill a 1-2' area. The narrow, linear foliage will reach 1-3' long and tends to arch and curl down towards the base of the plant. The top half to two thirds of the upright stems are lined with paired rames (groups of spikelets) that bloom from late summer into fall. After the seeds mature and the rames shatter, dense tufts of white to tawny colored hairs reaching up to 0.3" long are left behind, adding to the seasonal interest of this plant. The stems and leaves also turn shades of reddish to coppery brown in the fall. This plant provides food and shelter for small mammals and birds including bobwhite quail.
Genus name comes from the Greek words aner or andros meaning man and pogon meaning beard in reference to the hairs on the spikelets of some species in the genus.
The specific epithet ternarius means "in groups of three". The original description of this species describes the stems as having three, bifid spikes (modern descriptions put the number at 3-30 or more) and each floret having three anthers.
The common name silver bluestem refers to the silvery color of the mature inflorescences and the common name splitbeard bluestem refers to the paired rames of this species.
Problems
No major pest or disease problems of note. Planting in overly moist, rich, or poorly drained soils may result in a floppy growth habit or rot.
Uses
Mass or accent specimen for mixed borders, native gardens, meadow gardens, rain gardens, planted slopes, or naturalized areas. Excellent for winter interest.