Plant Guide

Andropogon virginicus L.
broomsedge bluestem
ANVI2

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

Morphology/Physiology
Active Growth Period	Summer
After Harvest Regrowth Rate	Slow
Bloat	None
C:N Ratio	High
Coppice Potential	No
Fall Conspicuous	No
Fire Resistant	No
Flower Color	Yellow
Flower Conspicuous	No
Foliage Color	Green
Foliage Porosity Summer	Moderate
Foliage Porosity Winter	Porous
Foliage Texture	Medium
Fruit/Seed Color	Brown
Fruit/Seed Conspicuous	No
Growth Form	Bunch
Growth Rate	Slow
Height at 20 Years, Maximum (feet)
Height, Mature (feet)	3
Known Allelopath	No
Leaf Retention	No
Lifespan	Moderate
Low Growing Grass	No
Nitrogen Fixation
Resprout Ability	No
Shape and Orientation	Erect
Toxicity	None

Growth Requirements
Adapted to Coarse Textured Soils	No
Adapted to Fine Textured Soils	Yes
Adapted to Medium Textured Soils	Yes
Anaerobic Tolerance	None
CaCO3 Tolerance	High
Cold Stratification Required	No
Drought Tolerance	High
Fertility Requirement	Low
Fire Tolerance	High
Frost Free Days, Minimum	135
Hedge Tolerance	None
Moisture Use	Medium
pH, Minimum	4.9
pH, Maximum	7
Planting Density per Acre, Minimum
Planting Density per Acre, Maximum
Precipitation, Minimum	30
Precipitation, Maximum	45
Root Depth, Minimum (inches)	14
Salinity Tolerance	None
Shade Tolerance	Intolerant
Temperature, Minimum (°F)	-18

Reproduction
Bloom Period	Late Spring
Commercial Availability	Routinely Available
Fruit/Seed Abundance	Low
Fruit/Seed Period Begin	Summer
Fruit/Seed Period End	Summer
Fruit/Seed Persistence	No
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	No
Propagated by Tubers	No
Seed per Pound	800000
Seed Spread Rate	Slow
Seedling Vigor	Low
Small Grain	No
Vegetative Spread Rate	None

Suitability/Use
Berry/Nut/Seed Product	No
Christmas Tree Product	No
Fodder Product	No
Fuelwood Product	None
Lumber Product	No
Naval Store Product	No
Nursery Stock Product	No
Palatable Browse Animal	Low
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 virginicus L. -- broomsedge bluestem P

Alternative Names

Broomsedge, popotillo, whiskey grass, and yellow 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: Broomsedge bluestem is grazed readily by cattle in the spring and early summer shortly after growth starts. The nutrition value is low except in early stages of growth. It is unpalatable when mature.

Ornamental Landscaping: Broomsedge bluestem is used as an ornament in landscapes. The infloresence is orange in the fall and remains throughout the winter. It provides color to the landscape.

Wildlife: Broomsedge bluestem benefits wildlife. Several species of birds and mammals eat the seeds in the winter when the seeds of other plants are not available. Several animals use the plants for cover and nesting sites (especially quail).

Erosion Control: Broomsedge bluestem is found on low fertile soils and prevents erosion when other plants can not be found.

Conservation Practices: Broomsedge bluestem, because of its growth habit, potentially has application when established with certain conservation practices; however, conservation practice standards vary by state. For localized information, consult your local NRCS Field Office.

Status

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 native, warm-season, herbaceous, perennial bunch grass that begins its growth when the average daytime temperature is between 60° to 65° F. The slender, erect culms are up to 4 feet tall. The flattened sheaths are overlapping and with a few scattered hairs. The upper part of the plant is rounded and the lower part is slightly flattened and keeled. The blade is ⅛ to ¼ inch wide, 10 to 16 inches long and rough to the touch above. The ligule is small and membranous. The inflorescence has a panicle of two to four racemes about 1 inch long. The bases of the panicle branches are enclosed in an inflated, tawny spathe as long or longer than the spikelet. The upper lemma of the sessile spikelet has a straight awn that is ½ inch long. The pedicillate spikelet is absent. The seeds mature in 6 weeks to 2 months.

Distribution

Broomsedge bluestem is found on the edges of forests and disturbed areas throughout the eastern United States. For current distribution, consult the Plant Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Web site.

Establishment

Adaptation: Broomsedge bluestem is found in all of Louisiana’s Major Land Resource Areas (MLRA) except for the Gulf Coast Marsh (151). The USDA Hardiness Zones for broomsedge bluestem is 5 to 10. It grows on a wide variety of soils, especially in old fields and other disturbed sites. It is frequently found with Andropogon glomeratus but in higher, better-drained sites. However, broomsedge bluestem might have some allelopathic properties and may cause some other plants to not grow.

Broomsedge bluestem is propagated from seeds or by plant division. However, of the two propagation methods, it is best to plant broomsedge bluestem by seeds. The seeds are produced 6 to 8 weeks from when the culms were produced.

The seeds should be planted in late winter as a dormant seeding or when daily temperatures average in the low 60’s. The seed can be broadcast and culti-packed if the right field conditions exist. The seeding rate should be 10 to 12 pure live seed pounds/acre. The seeds should be planted to a depth of ¼ to 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 attempt to create a smooth uniform appearance for the seedbed. Broadcast the seed and leave it undisturbed. When seeding under minimal seedbed preparation, increase the seeding rate by 50%.

It is not recommended to mix broomsedge bluestem 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 should not be moved more than 300 miles north, 100 miles east or west, or 200 miles south of its point of origin.

Management

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

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

Common seed is readily available from a number of growers, wholesalers, and retailers of native plants.

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. 763-765.

Texas A&M University 1997. Grass images: Andropogon virginicus. <https://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/taesgrass/43753000t.jpg>. Bioinformatics Working Group, College Station, Texas.

USDA, NRCS 2000. The PLANTS database. <https://plants.usda.gov>. 001106. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

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 06dec00 jsp; 10feb03ahv; 24may06jsp

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