Plant Guide

Andropogon glomeratus (Walt.) B.S.P.
bushy bluestem
ANGL2

Summary
Duration	Perennial
Growth Habit	Graminoid
U.S. Nativity	Native to U.S.
Federal T/E Status
National Wetland Indicator	FAC, OBL

Morphology/Physiology
Active Growth Period	Summer
After Harvest Regrowth Rate	Moderate
Bloat	None
C:N Ratio	Medium
Coppice Potential	No
Fall Conspicuous	Yes
Fire Resistant	No
Flower Color	White
Flower Conspicuous	Yes
Foliage Color	Green
Foliage Porosity Summer	Dense
Foliage Porosity Winter	Moderate
Foliage Texture	Fine
Fruit/Seed Color	Brown
Fruit/Seed Conspicuous	No
Growth Form	Bunch
Growth Rate	Moderate
Height at 20 Years, Maximum (feet)
Height, Mature (feet)	6.3
Known Allelopath	No
Leaf Retention	No
Lifespan	Moderate
Low Growing Grass	Yes
Nitrogen Fixation
Resprout Ability	No
Shape and Orientation	Erect
Toxicity	None

Growth Requirements
Adapted to Coarse Textured Soils	Yes
Adapted to Fine Textured Soils	Yes
Adapted to Medium Textured Soils	Yes
Anaerobic Tolerance	High
CaCO3 Tolerance	None
Cold Stratification Required	No
Drought Tolerance	Low
Fertility Requirement	Low
Fire Tolerance	Medium
Frost Free Days, Minimum	160
Hedge Tolerance
Moisture Use	High
pH, Minimum	5
pH, Maximum	6.3
Planting Density per Acre, Minimum	11000
Planting Density per Acre, Maximum	18000
Precipitation, Minimum	35
Precipitation, Maximum	70
Root Depth, Minimum (inches)	12
Salinity Tolerance	None
Shade Tolerance	Intolerant
Temperature, Minimum (°F)	-23

Reproduction
Bloom Period	Late Summer
Commercial Availability	Routinely Available
Fruit/Seed Abundance	High
Fruit/Seed Period Begin	Fall
Fruit/Seed Period End	Winter
Fruit/Seed Persistence	Yes
Propagated by Bare Root	No
Propagated by Bulb	No
Propagated by Container	No
Propagated by Corm	No
Propagated by Cuttings	No
Propagated by Seed	Yes
Propagated by Sod	No
Propagated by Sprigs	Yes
Propagated by Tubers	No
Seed per Pound	205000
Seed Spread Rate	Moderate
Seedling Vigor	High
Small Grain	No
Vegetative Spread Rate	None

Suitability/Use
Berry/Nut/Seed Product	No
Christmas Tree Product	No
Fodder Product	Yes
Fuelwood Product	None
Lumber Product	No
Naval Store Product	No
Nursery Stock Product	Yes
Palatable Browse Animal	Medium
Palatable Graze Animal	Low
Palatable Human	No
Post Product	No
Protein Potential	Low
Pulpwood Product	No
Veneer Product	No

Kingdom Plantae -- Plants

Subkingdom Tracheobionta -- Vascular plants

Superdivision Spermatophyta -- Seed plants

Division Magnoliophyta -- Flowering plants

Class Liliopsida -- Monocotyledons

Subclass Commelinidae

Order Cyperales

Family Poaceae -- Grass family

Genus Andropogon L. -- bluestem P

Species Andropogon glomeratus (Walt.) B.S.P. -- bushy bluestem P

Alternative Names

bushy bluestem, bushy broomsedge, lowland broomsedge, and bushybeard bluestem. Some botanists consider Andropogon glomeratus and Andropogon virginicus as one species. However, the two grasses are distinct and consistent in appearance and are currently recognized as separate species.

Uses

Livestock: Although it rates low as a forage grass, bushy beardgrass can be used as forage during the summer, fall, and winter months; however, it is more palatable during the early spring. The palatability is increased after a late winter burning.

Ornamental Landscaping: Bushy beardgrass is used as an ornamental grass in landscapes because of its showy plumes that turn a rust color during late fall and early winter. It is recommended for golf courses, around pond edges, stream banks and other wet sites.

Wildlife: Bushy beardgrass benefits wildlife. The finch, junco, and tree sparrow eat the seeds. The white-tailed deer and rabbits browse the plant. Bushy beardgrass also provides cover for mottled ducks and fawns (white-tailed deer).

Conservation Practices: Bushy beardgrass, because of its growth habit, potentially has application when established with the following conservation practices; however, conservation practice standards vary by state. For localized information, consult your local NRCS Field Office. NRCS practices include the following: 327-Conservation Cover; 386-Field Border; 390-Riparian Herbaceous Cover; 393-Filter Strip; 512-Pasture and Hay Planting; 550-Range Planting; 560-Access Road; 562-Recreation Area Improvement; 643-Restoration and Management of Declining Habitats; 644-Wetland Wildlife Habitat Management; 647-Early Successional Habitat Development/Management; 656-Constructed Wetland; 657-Wetland Restoration; 658-Wetland Creation; 659-Wetland Enhancement.

Status

Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural Resources for this plant’s current status, such as, state noxious status and wetland indicator values.

Description

General: Grass Family (Poaceae). It is a persistent, warm-season, perennial, low growing bunchgrass that is found from late summer to fall and reaches a height of 6 feet. It can be distinguished from other warm season grasses by its thick, massive, reddish brown, terminal inflorescence composed of paired silky racemes and its flattened blue green foliage. The culms are erect, 50 to 150 cm tall, compressed, with broad keeled, overlapping lower sheaths and the flat tufts often forming dense, usually glaucous clumps. The sheaths are occasionally villous; blades elongate, 3 to 8 mm wide; inflorescence dense and feathery. The sessile spikelets are 3 to 4 mm long with a straight awn 1 to 1.5 cm long. The fruit/seed period begins in the fall and ends in the winter.

Distribution

Bushy beardgrass is found in low roadsides, moist pinelands, brackish and freshwater marsh borders, sloughs, and wet ditches. It is native to and is found in nearly all of the eastern United States, mainly in the southern states, and extending west to California. Bushy beardgrass is also found in the West Indies, Yucatan, and Central America. For current distribution, please consult the Plant Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Web site.

Establishment

Adaptation: The USDA Hardiness Zones for bushy beardgrass is 5 to 10. Bushy beardgrass tolerates hot climates and coastal conditions as long as constant moisture is present. It is found in irregularly to seasonally inundated or saturated loamy soil. Bushy beardgrass is not salt tolerant and generally will not grow at levels above 0.5 parts per thousand. Bushy beardgrass does not tolerate heavy shade but will grow under light shade conditions.

Rootstock or seeds propagate bushy beardgrass. However, of the two, the best propagation method is transplantation of rootstock with liberal amounts of root-laden soil onto wet mineral soils in late winter or early spring. The plants should be spaced at 18 inches because the rate of spread is slow. Spread is generally less than 0.2 feet per year in unconsolidated sediment.

Seed germination is best when first stored at room temperature for 7-14 months. The planting should be in late winter as a dormant seeding or when daily temperatures average in the low 60’s. For planting, the seed can be broadcast and culti-packed if the right field conditions exist. The seeding rate should be 10-12 pure live seed/acre. The seeds should be planted to a depth of ¼ - ¾ inch. If the right field conditions do not exist or intensive seedbed preparation is undesirable, then disk the site and leave the surface as rough as possible. Do not create a smooth uniform appearance for the seedbed. Broadcast the seed and allow nature to cover the seeds. When seeding under minimal seedbed preparation, increase the seeding rate by 50%. It is not recommended to mix bushy beardgrass seeds with cool season grass seeds. In parts of the United States where cool season grasses dominate, the warm season grasses can be taken over because they develop slower than the cool season grasses. It is also recommended that seed not be moved more than 300 miles north or 200 miles south of its point of origin.

Management

Bushy beardgrass does not require fertilizers as the plants can grow in low fertility areas. Overgrazing bushy beardgrass results in an increase of this plant. However, if bushy beardgrass becomes weedy, then burning or mowing is recommended. Check with the local extension service for herbicides. Bushy beardgrass has no known pests or problems.

Cultivars, Improved and Selected Materials (and area of origin)

Please check the Vendor Database, expected to be on-line through the PLANTS Web site in 2001 by clicking on Plant Materials or contact your local NRCS Field Office. Common seed and container plants are readily available from a number of growers, wholesalers, and retailers of native seed.

References

Hitchcock, A.S. 1950. Manual of the grasses of the United States. USDA Miscellaneous Publication No 200. Agricultural Research Administration, Washington, D.C. Pp. 765-766.

Texas A&M University 1997. Grass images: Andropogon glomeratus. Version: 000329. <https://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/taesgrass/4371600t.jpg>. Bioinformatics Working Group, College Station, Texas.

Prepared By

Selena Dawn Newman, USDA, NRCS, Louisiana Plant Materials Program

Maraya Gates, USDA, NRCS, National Plant Data Center

Species Coordinator

Mike Materne, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Edited 05dec00 jsp; 07feb03ahv; 24mar06jsp

For more information about this and other plants, please contact your local NRCS field office or Conservation District, and visit the PLANTS Web site<https://plants.usda.gov> or the Plant Materials Program Web site <https://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov>

Attribution: U.S. Department of Agriculture