Coastal Little Bluestem Grass

Light Needs

Full Sun

(At Least 6 Hours Of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

1 - 2 Feet

Mature Spread

1 - 2 Feet

Growing Zones

3 to 10

Coastal little bluestem*, Schizachyrium littorale, paints seaside gardens with blue-green blades that blush copper as nights cool. At the end of the season, silvery, feather-soft seedheads linger well into winter. This compact grass rises only two feet yet carries the same dune-tough genetics that anchor Atlantic and Gulf shores, making it a prime choice where wind, sand, and blazing heat challenge less rugged ornamentals. Its bushier habit compared with inland little bluestem adds volume without height, while the frosted look of mature seadheads delivers four-season texture that photographers prize at dawn and dusk. Plant it for the shifting color show, keep it for the low-key way it stabilizes soil and shelters songbirds.

Beyond color and movement, the grass brings practical strengths: deer seldom browse it, roots stabilize slopes, and salt spray or prolonged drought cause little stress once clumps are established. Native from New England dunes to Texas barrier islands, it is useful in ecological restoration yet looks equally at home edging city sidewalks or punctuating prairie-style borders. Designers weave it through mass plantings for a soft meadow effect, drop single tufts into rock gardens for contrast, or line green roofs where weight limits rule out deeper soils.

Coastal Little Bluestem Care

Set plugs or divisions in spring, burying crowns flush with the soil surface in full sun and sharply drained sand or sandy loam; alkaline to slightly acidic pH both suit it as long as fertility stays low. Water weekly during the first summer, then taper to rainfall alone except during extended drought when a deep soak keeps foliage lush. Skip high-nitrogen fertilizers—excess nutrition leads to floppy stems—though a light compost top-dressing in early spring encourages dense new growth. This warm-season grass awakens late, so give it heat before judging establishment.

Cut clumps to ground level in late winter before new shoots appear; the single cleanup pass refreshes foliage and exposes the season’s first blue tones. In windy sites, a mid-summer trim is unnecessary unless stems lean. Container specimens overwinter outdoors to Zone 7; north of that, move pots to an unheated garage to shield roots from freeze-thaw cycles.

Coastal Little Bluestem Spacing

For dune stabilization or meadow drifts, space plants 12 inches apart in staggered rows to form a tight matrix that blocks blowing sand. In mixed borders, 20-inch gaps allow individual mounds to express their full rounded form without crowding neighbors. Single accent clumps command attention from a two-foot circle of open ground, while a new patio container thrives in a pot at least 12 inches wide and deep, filled with gritty cactus mix to replicate the fast drainage this coastal native prefers.

* Also known as Seaside Little Bluestem Grass

† Images courtesy of North Creek Nursery