Extended periods of drought, however, appear to be detrimental to little bluestem. It can also occur in seral stages. As woody vegetation increases and dominates these sites, increased shading causes a rapid decrease in the number and vigor of bluestem plants. In areas of savannah or prairie-forest ecotones, such as in Wisconsin and Ohio, little bluestem is a climax dominant in the prairie areas. Some of these areas have now become overgrown with trees due to fire suppression, yet little bluestem has persisted in very low numbers in the understory.
Little bluestem begins growth in late spring after cool-season grasses have already developed.
Using stored carbohydrates, new shoots develop from axillary buds below the ground surface. Little bluestem starts growth in the spring with only a few leaves but then fills out rapidly. After 75 days, culms had up to 17 leaves. Shoots and inflorescences develop rapidly. Plants are genetically programmed to flower with a particular photoperiod.