Little Bluestem 'Standing Ovation'
Schizachyrium scoparium 'Standing Ovation'
Little Bluestem with a tighter, columnar habit that never flops. Blue-green summer blades turn deep red-purple in fall.
Typically 1 pint–1 gal · $9–$30 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
All the beauty of Little Bluestem in a tighter, more upright form that works in designed borders and containers without looking ragged.
'Standing Ovation' is everything you love about Little Bluestem, but tighter and more upright, selected specifically for a columnar form that holds its shape without flopping, even in rich soils or partly shaded spots where the species can lean. The blue-green summer foliage stands at attention all season, then transforms to one of the deepest red-purples of any ornamental grass in fall. This cultivar works beautifully in designed garden settings where the species can feel too wild. Mass it in a narrow border, use it as a low hedge alongside a path, or mix it with late-season perennials like asters and goldenrod for a fall display that sustains itself for months. The upright habit makes it excellent in containers for a sunny patio. It carries all the ecological value of the species, skipper butterfly host plant, songbird seed source, in a tidier package that integrates into formal and semi-formal garden designs without looking out of place. Cut it back to 4 inches in late winter.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown little bluestem 'standing ovation' propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
Plant little bluestem 'standing ovation' instead of Miscanthus (Miscanthus sinensis). Same job in the garden, without the spread.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Dry
- Mature size
- 2–3.5 ft · 12–18 in wide
- USDA zones
- 3–9
- Family
- Poaceae
- Native range
- North America (species); cultivar selected for superior upright form and fall color
Care notes for little bluestem 'standing ovation'.
Plant in full sun in dry to average, well-drained soil. More tolerant of richer soils than the species while still maintaining upright form. Cut back to 4 inches in late winter. Self-seeds less freely than the species. Excellent in containers with good drainage. No fertilizer needed.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside little bluestem 'standing ovation'.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.