When it arrives
Your plug tray
Plant 72-cell plugs directly into well-weeded, warm soil in late spring, or pot up into 4-inch pots for a few weeks first. Keep moist until new blades appear.
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Real dishes from our Field Notes recipes, shared by the people who made them.
Blue Steel grown by our community
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- Mature height
- 54.0 in
- Mature spread
- 30.0 in
- Bloom
- Early-August – peak Late-August
- Fragrance
- None
- Deer
- Resistant
Lavender companion · grow guide
How to grow Blue Steel
Big Bluestem · Andropogon gerardii
Big bluestem is a tall native prairie grass that wants full sun and room. It thrives in average to lean soil and, once rooted, shrugs off drought; rich soil and shade make it flop.
Check my zone & planting dates
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Full sunLight
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Moderate waterAverage drainage
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pH 5.0–7.5Soil
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Zones 3a–9bHardiness
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54″ tall30″ wide
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ResistantDeer · rabbits some resistance
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Not known toxicPets
Huckleberry saysTell me where you grow and I’ll check if Blue Steel will thrive there.
Hardy in zones 3a–9b
Late spring once soil is warm; it's a warm-season grass that grows strongest in heat.
Your year with Blue Steel
JFMAMJJASOND
When to plant
Late spring once soil is warm; it's a warm-season grass that grows strongest in heat.
How deep
Plant with the top of the plug level with the soil surface; don't bury the growing point.
Spacing
2–3 feet apart; clumps grow 4–6 feet tall in bloom (shorter selections exist).
Soil
Adaptable: sandy, loamy or clay · pH 5.0–7.5
Fix-it tip: Skip the compost and fertilizer. Rich soil makes it grow too tall and flop; lean soil keeps it upright.
Sun
Full sun (tolerates very light part shade).
Any real shade leads to weak, leaning stems and less of the blue and red color.
Don’t give up on it
Is it alive? What spring looks like
A warm-season grass, it stays brown well into late spring and often shows new green shoots only in May or June. Don't give up on it while cool-season grasses are already green.
Spring
Cut old stems down before new growth; be patient, it greens up late.
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Summer
Rapid growth; flowers appear late summer.
Fall
Turkey-foot seedheads and red-bronze foliage color.
Winter
Leave standing for structure and wildlife cover.
Watering
First season: Water weekly through the first summer until roots go deep.
After that: Drought tolerant thanks to very deep roots; water only in extended drought.
Feeding
None needed. Fertilizer causes lodging (flopping).
Pruning & deadheading
Leave stems up for winter interest and birds. Cut to 4–6 inches in late winter or early spring before new growth starts.
Dividing
Rarely needed; divide in spring if the clump dies out in the middle.
Winter
Very cold hardy (zones 4–9). Leave standing through winter.
Summer heat
Loves heat and humidity; color deepens toward fall.
Stems flop open in late summer
Likely cause: Too much shade, water or fertility
What to do: Move to full sun, stop feeding; cut back by a third in early June next year
No sign of life in April
Likely cause: Normal late emergence of a warm-season grass
What to do: Wait until early summer before judging
Orange powdery spots on leaves
Likely cause: Rust fungus
What to do: Improve air flow; usually cosmetic
Too wet or too dry?
Rolled, gray-green leaves in the first season mean thirst; floppy, lush growth means too much water or fertility.
Watch for
- Few serious problems
- Rust in humid conditions
- Lodging (flopping) in rich soil or shade
Pets & wildlife
Native grass; not on the ASPCA toxic list.
Deer: resistant · Rabbits: somewhat resistant
Finnegan saysStill not sure what’s wrong? Ask Plant Health — describe it or add a photo.
In a container
Possible, with care · 5 gallon+
Deep roots and height make it better in the ground; use a large, heavy pot if you try.
Indoors
Outdoor plant
A prairie grass that needs full sun and winter dormancy outdoors.
Winter chill
No chill needed
Flowers on current-season growth driven by summer heat and day length.
Growing it on
Plugs from the tray
3–4 inch pots for 3–5 weeks, until roots hold the soil
Garden bed or a 5 gallon pot
Time to move up? Slide the plant out: if white roots wrap the outside of the soil, it’s ready for the next size.
Planting with lavender
Plant it near your lavender
Works as a tall backdrop beside or behind a lavender bed in the same full sun. It tolerates the same lean soil but is far bigger, so keep it a few feet back so it won't shade lavender.
Same bedNearbyIts own area
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