Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) 1 GAL

A.k.a. turkeyfoot. A tall, adaptable prairie grass that hosts a wide variety of insects, including many skippers. Favored by a wide variety of grazers, but rarely consumed by browsers such as deer.

Light: Full Sun

Soil Moisture: Wet Mesic, Mesic, Dry Mesic, Dry

Soil Type: Loam, Clay Loam

Height: 4'-8'

Bloom Time: Jul-Aug

Root Type: Fibrous

Notable Wildlife Interactions: Hosts skippers such as the dusted skipper, Delaware, Leonard’s, cobweb, Ottoe, Indian, and Byssus skippers. A number of other insects feed on the foliage, including grasshoppers, leafhoppers, and katydids. Seeds are eaten sparingly by birds, but foliage is readily consumed by mammalian herbivores.