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Schizachyrium Prairie Munchkin

Perfect for poor soils and dry gardens.

Are you looking for a native, ornamental grass that won't get too tall, takes poor soils with little to no organic matter and loves to be dry? Then this new selection is for you. Prairie Munchkin was selected from tons of seedlings by Donovan Boehm of Boehm's Garden Center in west, central IL. Don selected it for the steel blue new growth, the perfect size for median and municipal plantings that require plants to be 3' tall or smaller and for the fact that it does not flop in late summer or even winter, like most little bluestems do.

Prairie Munchkin is the perfect native alternative to the highly overused Calamagrostis 'Karl Foerster'. This new sturdy grass will make a perfect 3' tall hedge. Use it in naturalistic plantings in a border or mass it in a hedge row for a very minimalist, modern look, Prairie Munchkin is certainly not "small" on uses or personality. The steel blue foliage persists throughout the heat of the summer, then the flowers appear and the foliage slowly turns a shade of strawberry blonde, then to tawny for the remainder of winter.

Who Am I?

  • Common Name:
    Prairie Munchkin little bluestem
  • Botanical Name:
    Schizachyrium scoparium 'Prairie Munchkin' PP26335
  • Type:
    Perennial
  • U.S. Native:
    YES

Cultural Details

TYPE

Perennial

U.S. NATIVE

YES
  • Light:
    Full sun
  • Soil:
    average to poor garden soils
  • Moisture:
    will take average moisture and severe drought
  • Hardiness Zone
    3-9
  • Bloom Time:
    August to November
  • Size:
    24-30" tall by 20-24" wide
  • Diseases & Pests:
    None known

What Makes Me Special?

Stiff, upright plumes of steel blue persist from July to November, when they fade to a strawberry blonde color. Prairie Munchkin is perfect for poor soils and dry garden spots and should be used more in municipal plantings.

Landscape Use

Commercial plantings, median strips, foundations, borders, containers, urban gardens

Propagation

Divisions
Tissue Culture

Who Am I?

  • Common Name:
    Prairie Munchkin little bluestem
  • Botanical Name:
    Schizachyrium scoparium 'Prairie Munchkin' PP26335
  • Type:
    Perennial
  • U.S. Native:
    YES

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