Big Bluestem

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Big Bluestem

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Liliopsida
Order:	Poales
Family:	Poaceae
Genus:	Andropogon
Species:	A. gerardii

Binomial name

Andropogon gerardii
Vitman

Big Bluestem is a bunch grass that is native to much of the prairie and Great Plains regions of North America.

Big bluestem grows best in rich, sandy soils. Depending on soil and moisture conditions, it grows to a height of 1 – 3m (3 – 10 ft). The stem base turns to a blue-purple as it matures. The seed heads have three spike-like projections, resulting in another common name for big bluestem — "turkey foot." The roots are deep, and the plants send out strong, tough rhizomes. As a result, it forms very strong sod.

Big bluestem is a late-successional grass in prairie ecosystems. It grows in tall, dense stands that shade out other plant species. These stands tend to gradually increase in size over time, unless a disturbance (such as fire) allows other plant species to re-establish themselves. Prior to the introduction of grazing animals and tillage to the prairie regions of North America, it was the dominant plant species of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem.

Bluestem, which has many variants, is considered to be good forage for horses and cattle and it can also be cut and used for hay. While not considered the highest quality native forage found in the United States, it has long been considered a desirable and ecologically important grass by cattle ranchers and range-land ecologists. Bluestem grass is also in use by landscapers and home owners who desire to create a 'native' look in their lawns and gardens.

Big Bluestem is the dominant grass in the largest protected tract of remaining tallgrass prairie in the world in Osage County, Oklahoma on the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve.