Download 17. Big Bluestem - Friess Lake School District

Common Name of Plant: Big Bluestem / Turkey Foot
Scientific Name of Plant: Andropogon gerardii
Average Height of Plant: 3 to 10 feet tall
Blooming Time: July through August
Ask the Botanist
What are the leaves like?
Big Bluestem has 12 – 14 inch hairy blades that are half of an inch wide. When the leaves
begin to grow, they are rolled into a tube and unroll as they grow. Big Bluestem looks
like it grows in bunches because the plants spread in a circular area. The leaves do not
sprout until late May or early June. A red tinge forms on the leaves as they get older, and
the leaves turn a bronze color in the autumn.
What type of flowers bloom on this plant?
The flowering stem of this plant produces 3 to 4 branches, each with a cluster of flowers.
The flowers form at the top of stalks that grow 3 to 7 feet tall. The flower stalks have
sections of maroon and green which look “blue” from a distance. Leaves also grow from
the sides of the flower stalks. The flowers bloom in late July through August.
What is unusual about the seedpods or seeds of this plant?
The seed heads are about 3 inches long. They are arranged in clusters of 3 to 4 branches
on top of stalks that are 3 to 7 feet tall. Their color ranges from bronze to purple to green.
The clusters of 3 seed head also looks like a turkey foot.
How is this plant important to animals? Has it also been used by people?
Cattle and bison eat the leaves from spring to early summer. Birds and mammals use it for
nesting and protection in summer and winter. Big Bluestem was not used often by people.
The Chippewa Indians used the roots of the Big Bluestem for stomach pains.
Is there anything else unusual about this plant?
It is the tallest grass in the tall grass prairie. When you look at it from a distance, it looks
blue, but when you’re up close, it looks red and green. The seeds formation looks a
turkey foot, which is the nickname of this plant.
Pictures
Whole Plant
Leaf
Flower
Bud
Plant in Autumn
Plant Emerging in the Spring