Myriad Botanical Gardens - Oklahoma City, USA

Common name: Big Bluestem

Family: Poaceae (Grass Family)

Distribution: North America

IUCN Red list: Not evaluated

Hardiness: 4a

Life form: Perennial plant

Comments: 'Red October' Big Bluestem is a great ornamental grass for several season's worth of interest. Its clumping growth habit and tall, straight pattern makes it an attractive grass through the summer where it can reach between four to six feet tall. By late summer into fall, it begins to change color and sends off burgundy-red seed heads that resemble turkey's feet as they mature. By late fall, the foliage turns a purplish red and then to scarlet after its first frost. Being a native tall grass, it does well in drought and poor soil, establishing slowly but strongly. Its extensive root system makes it a good candidate for erosion control.