The little bluestems in said meadow have turned a gorgeous rusty red for the winter and are sporting fluffy white seed heads that shimmer in the winter sun.
The plants are small - they have only been in the ground for one season, after all - but they are just what I was hoping for.
Some of our more typical ornamental grasses, such as the muhlies, certainly are more symmetrical, but you just can't beat the rad red color of these native bluestems. And they ar of great benefit for native wildlife, including a big diversity of lepidopterans, including the Ottoe Skipper, Indian Skipper, Crossline Skipper, Dusted Skipper, Cobweb butterfly, and Dixie skipper.
Can't wait until they get bigger!
They beat the hell out of Mexican feathergrass in this garden...
I wish I could say the same. I tried several in my hot, dry, sloping side yard, and they all croaked this summer. Mexican feathergrass still beats them for me. Just wondering -- are yours in part shade? Maybe that was my problem. I sure wish they'd worked out. Yours look great.
ReplyDeleteHey Pam. Hard to say at this point. It's always possible that next year they will be less happy, but I'm hoping for more!
ReplyDeleteIt's possible that our deep clay + less full sun helps them. That said, they definitely grow in full sun and seem to grow in areas of the Hill Country with marginal soil. The vagaries of our unique microclimates, right?