Spikelets occur in pairs on a central unbranched axis. Roots are relatively fine. Little bluestem has a very high ratio of fertile to vegetative stems. At 1 inch the growing point may be removed by grazing, and therefore no new leaves reproduced by the stems. Due to its broad distribution, little bluestem exibits varying degrees of ecotypic variation.
Plants vary in height, length of leaves, time of flowering, and clump diameter.
Germination in the field appears to be low, with seedling numbers low or absent. Seed is generally dispersed only short distances from the parent plant. Many fertile spikelets contained insect larvae or were empty with no larvae or caryopsis. These are areas of sapric peat soil constantly saturated with artesian groundwater and are typically dominated by prairie grasses. Prairie fens occur across glaciated terrain in northeastern Illinois, southeastern Wisconsin, southwestern Michigan, Indiana, western Ohio, and Missouri.