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| ## splitbeard bluestem {#splitbeard-bluestem .Title-Header}           |
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| *Andropogon ternarius* Michx.                                         |
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| Plant Symbol = ANTE2                                                  |
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*Contributed by: USDA NRCS Louisiana State Office, National Plant Data
Center, & the Grazing Land Conservation Initiative-South Central Region*

## 

## Alternative Names

Splitbeard beardgrass, paintbrush bluestem, silver bluestem, silvery
beardgrass, and feather bluestem.

## Uses

*Livestock:* Splitbeard bluestem is grazed readily by cattle in the
spring shortly after growth starts. However, it is seldom abundant
enough for forage for cattle. If it is the principal winter forage, the
cattle should be fed a protein supplement.

*Ornamental Landscaping:* Splitbeard bluestem is used as an ornament in
landscapes and in flower arrangements because of its fluffy, cottony, or
silvery appearing seed heads scattered over the length of each stem. To
some people, the grass evokes images of shooting fireworks.

*Wildlife*: Splitbeard bluestem benefits wildlife. Several species of
birds and mammals eat the seeds and use the plants for cover. The
white-tailed deer and rabbits also browse the plant.

*Erosion Control*: Splitbeard bluestem provides erosion control on
slopes in poor or sandy soils.

*Habitat Restoration*: Due to its relatively high seedling vigor,
splitbeard has great potential as a native nurse crop for slower
establishing native species such as wiregrass (*Aristida beyrichiana*).

*Conservation Practices*: Splitbeard 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.
NRCS practices include the following: 327-Conservation Cover;
342-Critical Area Planting; 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

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 in April. The
culms are up to 5 feet tall, slender, and erect. The purple sheaths are
covered with hair, especially during early plant growth. 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, usually
hairy, and curly at maturity. The ligule is small and membranous. The
inflorescence has three to six pairs of racemes about 2 inches long with
a small tuft of hair at the base. The spikelets are long and hairy. The
sessile spikelet is ¼ inch long with a twisted and bent awn that is up
to 1 inch long. The pedicillate spikelet is absent or rudimentary. The
pedicel is flattened, densely white pubescent, and shorter than the
sessile spikelet. After the seed disperses, a tuft of silver hair
remains, which suggests the common name, paintbrush bluestem.

## Distribution

Splitbeard bluestem is composed of two varieties, *A.* *ternarius* var.
*ternarius* and *A. ternarius* var. *cabanisii.* *A.* *ternarius* var.
*ternarius is* found in fields, ditches, and open woods throughout the
southeastern United States, while *A. ternarius* var. *cabanisii* is
restricted to Florida. For current distribution, consult the Plant
Profile for this species on the PLANTS Web site.

## Establishment

*Adaptation*: The USDA Hardiness Zones for splitbeard bluestem is 6 to
10. It grows best on well-drained, coarse to medium textured, fertile
soil in full sun. However, it can grow in a wide variety of soil
conditions and exposures, including light shade and coastal conditions.

Splitbeard bluestem is propagated from seeds or by plant division. The
white seeds are produced from early to mid-fall when the clumps reach a
basal diameter of 1¼ inches or more. For division, the plants are
reproduced from buds at the base of the culms. However, of the two
propagation methods, it is best to plant splitbeard bluestem by seed.

The seeds should be planted in late winter as a dormant seeding or when
daily temperatures average in the low 60's. Broadcast the seed and
culti-pack, 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 splitbeard 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.

If division is the desirable way to propagate, then the plants should be
placed at 12 inch-centers because the rate of spread is slow.

## Management

Splitbeard bluestem does not require fertilizers as the plants can grow
in low fertility areas. Overgrazing and frequent haying of splitbeard
bluestem will cause this species to decline. If splitbeard bluestem
becomes weedy, then burning or mowing is recommended. However annual
burning followed by grazing tends to eliminate this grass. Check with
the local extension service for recommended herbicides. Splitbeard
bluestem has no known pests or problems.

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

NRCS Plants Materials Program Brooksville Plant Materials Center,
Brooksville, FL, has released a source identified splitbeard germplasm
called Ft. Cooper. This germplasm was collected in Ft. Cooper State Park
in Citrus County Florida. The Ft. Cooper material has been shown to
consistently produce relatively large quantities of seed with up to 90%
germination rates. In addition to Ft. Cooper, 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. 760-761.

Leithead, H.L, L.L. Yarlett, & T.N. Shiflet. February 1971*.* 100 native
forage grasses in 11 southern states. USDA SCS Agriculture Handbook No.
389, Washington, D.C. 216p.

Pfaff, S., M.A. Gonter, and C. Maura. 2002. Florida Native Seed
Production Manual. USDA-NRCS, Gainesville, FL.
\<<http://www.plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/pubs/flpmcpuflsdprod.pdf>\>.

Texas A&M University. 1997. *Grass images: Andropogon ternarius*.
Bioinformatics Working Group, College Station, Texas.
\<http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/taesgrass/4374900t.jpg\>.

USDA, NRCS. 2003. The PLANTS database. \<http://plants.usda.gov\>.
001106. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Yarlett, L.L. 1996. Common grass of Florida and the Southeast. The
Florida Native Plant Society, Spring Hill, FL.

## 

## Prepared By

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

# *Maraya Gates*, Formerly USDA, NRCS, National Plant Data Center

Edited 17jan01 jsp; 10feb03ahv; 24may06jsp; 16July08mjw

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

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