Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) is a native bunch grass that is easily identified, especially in the late summer and fall when the silvery seed is still atop the stems that have turned “blue”. Look for it at mid elevation on the dry rocky slopes above the desert floor.
Little bluestem is easily found in nurseries as well as in the wild. Its decorative look has established it in urban landscapes and grasses are fun in a personal landscape. They provide movement with the slightest of breeze, but for me more importantly native grasses supply nesting material, seed, and places to hide for native insects and birds. Whatever you do when adding grasses to your wildlife garden stay away from non-natives as they can be invasive and really offer nothing for local critters. Go native and all the native creatures will appreciate it. Believe me.
One of the positive sides of isolating and staying very close to home during the pandemic is that we discovered new places and rediscovered...
Canyon hackberry must be an old common name, because all the new literature calls it western hackberry. Western, I suppose, as opposed to the...
My morning ditties are not nearly as amazing as the song of a curved bill thrasher, but they help me begin the day. If...
