Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Perennial of the Year 2022
The Perennial Plant Association announced their winner for Perennial of the Year 2022. It’s Schizachyrium scoparium and its cultivars. It’s common name is Little Bluestem and there are some real gems.
One in particular for our zones 3 and 4 was created at the University of Minnesota Department of Horticulture by Mary Meyer. ‘Blue Heaven’ grows to 4 ft. tall at maturity.
The foliage is dark blue to burgundy during summer turning purple, violet, and finally red in fall which lasts into winter.
Little bluestem stays on the shorter side and is a native from Quebec to Florida! It was one of the dominant grasses in Tallgrass Prairies which I talked a couple of weeks ago.
This grass is clump forming and stands erect with strong foliage. I have ‘Carousel’ in my rain garden.
The Indian red seedheads are carried on showy plumes from early fall to late winter. Its grassy leaves are bluish-green turning orange in fall. It is the shortest of the cultivated Little Bluestem with the leaves at about 2 ft. tall and the plumes another 8 inches or so above them.
Schizachyrium scoparium tolerates lots of different soil conditions but does love full sun. It tolerates black walnut juglone and air pollution!
‘Standing Ovation’ is excellent for hot, dry areas. The leaves are dark green silvery blue variegation and tinges of purple which turn violet in fall.
It has masses of beautiful spikes of purple flowers rising above the foliage in late summer. Gorgeous in groupings.
