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Dune Bluestem

Schizachyrium littorale

Found in Coastal dunes and maritime dry grasslands, often with Uniola paniculata , Panicum amarum , and other dune plants. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you

53
Strong

Native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 88%

Height
Up to about 5 feet
Light
Full sun
Soil moisture
Dry to moist
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Bloom
August to December

Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

Recorded in 1 Alabama county.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 2

Prairies and grasslands

Grand Prairie, Coosa Valley Prairies, Floyd County
Limestone prairie. Shown: Grand Prairie, Coosa Valley Prairies, Floyd County, Georgia, a neighboring state.Grand Prairie, Coosa Valley Prairies, Floyd County, Alan M. Cressler / U.S. Geological Survey, undated. Public domain. Source record.

Coastal dunes and beaches

Open sand of beaches, dunes and the hollows between them.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

16CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

Genus host records with ranges including AL · Andropogon

  • Agrotis gladiariaSwordsman Dart, Clay-Backed Cut-Worm
  • Amblyscirtes alternataDusky Roadside-Skipper, Least Florida Skipper, Dusky Little Skipper;
  • Anatrytone loganDelaware Skipper, Logan Skipper, Black-Vein Skipper
  • Atrytone arogosArogos Skipper, Beardgrass Skipper
  • Atrytone byssusByssus Skipper, Golden Skipper
  • Atrytonopsis hiannaDusted Skipper
  • Cercyonis pegalaCommon Wood Nymph
  • Dargida diffusaWheat Head Armywotm Moth
  • Lacinipolia meditataThe Thinker
  • Lerema acciusClouded Skipper, Corn Leaf tier
Show all 16
  • Limochores origenesCrossline Skipper
  • Meropleon ambifuscaNewman's Borer, Newman's Brocade
  • Mocis texanaTexas Mocis
  • Nastra lherminierSwarthy Skipper
  • Oligoria maculataTwin-Spot Skipper
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
1BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Andropogon

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
4BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Andropogon

  • Agelaius phoeniceusRed-winged Blackbird
  • Ammospiza leconteiiLeConte's Sparrow
  • Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
  • Molothrus aterBrown-headed Cowbird
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Poaceae
Flower color
White, green, purple or brown

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Andropogon scoparius; Schizachyrium scoparium ssp. littorale; bluestem

Conservation status

Alabama rankNot available
Global rankG5T5 [G5]
AL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources