Schizachyrium scoparium 'Smoke Signal' Little Bluestem
About Our Plants
Rare Roots ships live, growing plants in one-quart pots all over the continental US. The rare exception is our slightly smaller 3.5" inch pot, which will be labeled on a few product pages.
The plants are not guaranteed to be blooming when they arrive, and the foliage may need to be trimmed before shipping to fit them in the box safely.
Our Guarantee:
Our plants are guaranteed to arrive safely in a suitable condition for planting. If they are damaged or if you have concerns, please inform us right away by sending pictures to info@rareroots.com. Even if you are planning to wait and see if it recovers, we need to document the damage on your order.
We are not able to offer warranties or extended guarantees on plants due to the sheer number of variables that can affect their growth and survival.
About Perennials:
Our plants are grown on our 30-acre outdoor nursery in Virginia (available by mail-order only). They are all considered "perennial" if planted within their preferred zone range.
Perennials planted in the coldest zone listed are considered "tender perennials", and may not overwinter in a severe winter. For example: if a plant is rated for zones 7-10, it would be a tender perennial in zone 7. It's best to plant these in spring or early summer, and preferably in a protected area (such as the South side of building).
You can find your growing zone here: [USDA website]
Description
Schizachyrium scoparium 'Smoke Signal' is a warm season perennial grass that puts on a wonderful color show, turning from blue-green to deep red and purple in the summer and fall. Schizachyrium 'Smoke Signal' maintains its upright habit throughout the season. Also known as Little Bluestem or Beardgrass, this grass is a favorite for naturalized settings and meadows. White tufts of seed heads are very attractive along with its fall foliage. Remove these seed heads if self sowing is a problem. Little Bluestem is utilized by butterflies, songbirds, pollinators and other insects.
Schizachyrium scoparium is native to almost all the contiguous United States and the southern half of Canada. It is indigenous to prairies, meadows, savannas, rocky glades and other well-drained, even dry sites. It is often a dominant species in the short grass prairies of the Central and Great Plains as well as a major component of tall grass prairies. It was formerly known as Andropogon scoparius.
Schizachyrium scoparium 'Smoke Signal' prefers full sun and drier to moist, but well-drained soils. It dislikes wet soils, particularly in winter. It is great for hot, dry areas and is drought tolerant once established.
Characteristics
- Common Names: Little Bluestem
- Zones: 3-9
- Light Requirements: Full Sun to Light Shade
- Soil Preference: Well-drained
- Height at Maturity: 40"
- Width at Maturity: 24"
- Bloom Color: Tan/Brown
- Bloom Time: Summer
- Patent #: PPAF
Special Features
- Attracts:
- Tolerates: Deer. Coastal Conditions. Drought.
- Other Features:
Care and Growing Tips
Check out our blog for more gardening tips!
Shipping Info
Due to increasing temperatures, we have stopped shipping plants in the summer for their best interest.
Fall Shipping Schedule 2025
Zones 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 will ship the weeks of August 25th and September 1st
Zones 7 and 8 will ship the week of September 8th
Zones 9, 10 and 11 will ship the week of September 15th
We only ship on Mondays and Tuesdays to ensure that plants can travel during the weekdays.
Plants take 2-3 days to arrive after you receive a notification that they've been shipped.
We appreciate your patience while our small team works to get your plants to you safely! If you need a specific shipping week, you are welcome to let us know by leaving a note on the Cart page or replying to your order confirmation email.
Our boxes come in four sizes: 1-count, 3-count, 6-count, and 12-count.
To get the best shipping rates per plant, try to fill a box of 3, 6, or 12. Shipping rates are calculated at checkout by weight, package size, and distance.
Our nursery is located in Virginia, and it can sometimes be costly to ship to the western US. Ground shipping is too slow cross-country for the plants to arrive safely, so our options are limited to faster shipping methods. We appreciate your understanding!
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We ship via UPS or USPS (the Post Office), and their ship rates are automatically generated through our site. We do not profit on shipping costs. We are working with these providers to get our customers the best rates possible.
All ship times are subject to change if extreme weather conditions are present here at the nursery or at the shipping destination.
Please note: Depending on the time of year, the foliage of the plants may be trimmed to fit into our shipping boxes. This could delay the flowering of the plant, but many perennials actually benefit from being cut back.
We are currently not able to ship to Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and outside of the US.