Wire bluestem
Schizachyrium gracile
Poaceae


Landscape Uses:

Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations.

Ecological Restoration Notes:

It can be used as one of many understory herbs in pine rocklands.
Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts.
Description:
Small, fine-textured herbaceous grass.
Height:
About 12-24 inches in height. Taller than broad.
Growth Rate:
Fast.
Range:
Monroe County Keys north to Miami-Dade and Collier counties; West Indies. Naturalizing on limerock fill to the north of its native range.
Habitats:
Pine rocklands.
Soils:
Moist, well-drained limestone soils, without humus.
Nutritional Requirements:
Low; it grows in nutrient poor soils.
Salt Water Tolerance:
Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water.
Salt Wind Tolerance:
Low; salt wind may burn the leaves.
Drought Tolerance:
High; does not require any supplemental water once established.
Light Requirements:
Full sun.
Flower Color:
Brown inflorescence.
Flower Characteristics:
Semi-showy inflorescence.
Flowering Season:
Summer-fall.
Fruit:
Inconspicuous caryopsis.
Wildlife and Ecology:
Horticultural Notes:
Can be grown from seed and division.
Comments:


Keith A. Bradley
Eric Fleites
Keith A. Bradley