Andropogon gerardi Vitman

Big Bluestem; Turkey Foot

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Big Bluestem is a native perennial warm season herb in the Grass family (Poaceae). It occurs throughout Alabama. Big Bluestem occurs in prairies, in Longleaf pine woods, in dry or rocky pine-oak woods, on roadsides, and in powerline right-of-ways. It is a perennial with a rhizome. Stems are 3-8 feet tall and usually sparsely branched near the top. The stems are round, green or tan in color, and glabrous. Leaves form a basal clump and are alternate on the stem. Leaves have sheathing bases, are linear in outline, glabrous, with entire margins. Near the area where the blade joins the sheath there may be some long white hairs. Flowers are produced in 2-5 narrow racemes of spikelets. The racemes form “V” shapes, and one common name for this species is “Turkey Foot”. The rachis joints and pedicles are pubescent. The spikelets occur in appressed pairs along the raceme. The lower is perfect and fertile and the upper spikelet is staminate. Fertile spikelets have an awn that is basally twisted. The fruit is a grain. Big Bluestem was a major component of the Eastern Tallgrass Prairie. Big Bluestem is a larval host plant for the Delaware Skipper (Anatrytone logan), the Dusted Skipper (Atrytonopsis hianna), Leonard's Skipper (Hesperia leonardus), Cobweb Skipper (Hesperia metea), and Byssus Skipper (Problema byssus). The seed of Big Bluestem are eaten by many sparrow species and the foliage is consumed by herbivores ranging from grasshoppers to Bison. Big Bluestem is a natural choice for prairies and meadows, and can be used as an interesting screen along the backs of perennial beds, along fence rows, and along woodland edges. It is available as seed from many sources. Big Bluestem is tolerant of many soil and moistures types, and is drought tolerant once established. It requires full to partial sun. Clumps should be cut to the ground in late winter to encourage new growth.--A. Diamond

Some treatments spelled the epithet as "gerardii" but the original spelling is acceptable in this case for technical reasons related to the code, Article 60: Orthography.

Native FAC (NWPL) G5 (Global Rank)

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