Blue Heaven® Little Bluestem - 72-Cell Plug Tray

Blue Heaven is a taller, more upright little bluestem that stands straight rather than flopping like the wild species. In summer its steel-blue foliage has purple highlights and looks almost iridescent up close.

From late summer into early fall, glossy purple flower heads appear with fluffy tan seeds, and fall brings a rich mix of purple, blue, red, pink, burgundy and orange. It is an excellent native grass for hot, dry spots, slopes and erosion control.

What it looks like

Narrow, upright leaves and stems are bright steel blue with purple highlights and a slight iridescent sheen. They form a dense, upright, non-flopping clump 42 to 54 inches tall and 30 to 40 inches wide. From late summer to early fall, slender glossy purple flower spikes appear with small fluffy tan-silver seed tufts along the upper stems. In fall the whole plant turns a blend of burgundy, purple, red, pink and orange that lasts into mid-fall.

Growing it with lavender

Blue Heaven thrives in the same sun and lean, dry soil as lavender, and its steel-blue summer foliage looks great beside lavender before turning to rich fall colors.

Care

Plant in full sun in lean to average, well-drained soil; it is very drought tolerant and dislikes wet, rich soil, which can cause flopping or crown rot. Hardy in zones 3 to 9. Leave it standing through winter and cut it back to a few inches in early spring.

At a glance

• Botanical name: Schizachyrium scoparium
• Flower color: Glossy purple with tan seeds
• Foliage: Steel blue with purple highlights, multicolored in fall
• Growth habit: Upright, non-flopping clump
• Mature size: 42 in–54 in tall × 30–40 in wide
• USDA hardiness zones: 3–9
• Light: full sun
• Bloom start: Late-August
• Peak bloom: Mid-September
• Bloom pattern: Single Flush
• Deer resistance: Resistant
• Pollinator value: Fair

Sizes and shipping

One full 72-cell plug tray: 72 young starter plugs of this variety (cells about 1⅓ in. wide × 2½ in. deep), rooted and ready to pot up into quarts or gallons. Best for growers and nurseries. Potted plants and plug trays ship during our live-plant seasons, March 1–May 31 and October 1–November 30; June through September is local pickup only. Plugs, potted plants and trays do not ship to AZ, CA, HI, ID, NV, OR, UT or WA.