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| ## Slender little bluestem {#slender-little-bluestem .Title-Header}   |
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| *Schizachyrium tenerum* Nees                                          |
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| Plant Symbol = SCTE5                                                  |
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Contributed By: USDA NRCS National Plant Data

# *Center*

![](media/image2.jpeg){width="2.792361111111111in" height="4.175in"}

## Alternate Names

slender bluestem, *Andropogon tener*

## Uses

# Although slender little bluestem is not one of the preferred forage grasses in the southern U.S., cattle graze it when it is young and tender. 

# 

## Status

Please 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

Grass Family (Poaceae). Slender little bluestem is a native,
warm‑season, perennial bunch grass. The height is between 1 and 3 feet,
often found reclining or lying flat on ground. The leaf blade is narrow;
2 to 8 inches long; 1/16 inch wide or less; wiry. The leaf sheath is
rounded; smooth; mostly basal. The ligule is hairy. The stem is a bend
at each node giving a zigzag appearance; often branching at nodes. The
seedhead is single straight spike-like raceme on each seed stalk. The
seeds shatter soon after maturity, leaving a tiny hollow tip on each
stalk.

# 

*Distribution*: For current distribution, please consult the Plant
Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Web site.

## Management

Grazing practices should favor the broader leafed, more palatable
grasses rather than slender bluestem. Heavy grazing for a short period
after spring growth starts followed by a 6‑month grazing deferment and
light use make it possible for later maturing grasses, such as pinehill
bluestem (*Schizachyrium scoparium* var. *divergens*) to shade out
slender bluestem and dominate the site. Slender bluestem increases if
burned annually and grazed continuously. New growth following a burn is
the most palatable. As seed stalks form, palatability declines rapidly.
It is an indicator of excessive grazing.

# 

## Establishment

Growth starts in the early spring and continues into the summer. The
seedheads generally form by mid‑July. In the fall and winter, foliage
tangles, mats together, and turns a faded straw color. This species
grows in colonies. Slender bluestem is not as shade tolerant as many
associated grasses. It is best adapted to open or sparsely wooded poorly
drained soils and is also found on sandy well‑drained soils.

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

Please contact your local NRCS Field Office.

## 

**Reference**

Leithead, H.L., L.L. Yarlett, & T.N. Shiflett. 1976. 100 native forage
grasses in 11 southern states. USDA SCS *Agriculture Handbook No. 389*,
Washington, DC.

## Prepared By & Species Coordinator:

*Percy Magee*, USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge,
Louisiana

Edited: 13may02 ahv; jul03 ahv; 20sep05 jsp; 070116 jsp

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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