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Big bluestem
Habit (mature) · Alex Abair / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0
Limited coverage
Big bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
The signature grass of the North American tallgrass prairie — a tall, deep-rooted warm-season bunchgrass named "turkey-foot" for its three-parted purplish-red seedheads. Blue-green summer foliage rises 4-8 feet and turns maroon-tan for fall and winter. Deeply drought- and erosion-resistant once established; a larval host for skipper butterflies and cover for two dozen songbird species.
Native: 44 US states + 4 CA provinces
Review: Source-backed
Climate fit: broad (83/100)
Structure
Pollinator
Light
Full sun
Water
Moderate water
Mature size
48-96" tall · 24" apart
Hardy in zones
4a-9b
very cold to frosty winters
Summer heat range
Mild-Extreme
mild to extreme summers Interim Plotwright tier until the plant AHS range is authored.
Native in Illinois
Yes
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A documented larval host for the Skipper butterflies — specialist wildlife that depend on plants like this to reproduce.
Wildlife relationships
Cold hardiness
Now
Zone 6b
USDA
Chicago, IL · 1991-2020 average annual coldest day
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer
Well-suited
2050
Zone 7b
Plotwright
Your zone + climate-model shift · SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry)
Well-suited
In plain terms: cold winters — coldest nights typically around -3°F.
Well-suited today and still thriving in 2050.
Heat tolerance
Loading current AHS heat-zone and plant heat-fit data at your coordinates…
Sources & citations
Cite this page
For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.
Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii). Retrieved 2026, June 5, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/big-bluestem
Sources for every fact
Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited18 source-backed.
Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder
Botanical research database
Backs 17 fields
Identity
Summary
Plant type
Light
Moisture
Hardiness
Heat zone
Size
Spacing
Habit
Design roles
Seasonal interest
Growth stages
Lifecycle
Regional guidance
Success tips
Designer notes
Wikimedia Commons
Photo · CC BY 4.0
Backs 1 field
Image
Community photos
The photos above are our reviewed reference set, curated for accuracy.
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