b"Texas' only Harvestersof Native Little Bluestem PrairiesCritically imperiled grasslandsLittle Bluestem once dominated our tall grass prairies from Canada to Mexico. But almost everywhere that could beFor Wildlife Valuation, Little Bluestem qualifies as food and plowed has been plowed. Texas, the largest prairie state, hashabitat. The seeds are nutritious for goldfinch, quail, dove, and the least acres conserved. Besides a few refuges, current-daymany mammals. Excellent ground-nesting cover for prairie sightings still find it growing on thin, infertile, highly erodiblebirds, mammals and larval food source for butterflies. soils.surviving harsh conditions with good land stewardship practices. Sadly, in many regions, 'Lil Blu' is almost gone.Little Bluestem was once so important for forage, the USDADpak $12 / 200 sq ft $27 / lbFor the Landscape, Little Bluestem can be grown from seed.Plant Materials Centers developed several 'improved' Being a well-behaved 1 to 4' clump grass makes it ideal forselections called cultivars, mostly taken from northern and mid blue-green spring color. Later in the growing season, with nowestern prairies decades ago. Agronomists targeted selections mowing and blessed mid-summer rains .seeds begin to form.with highest forage production. After years of refinement and By autumn, rich bronze stems with frost-white, fuzzy, dewprocessing of cultivars and certified seeds, many naturally glistened seeds sparkling at sunrise helps us to remember whyoccurring genetic adaptations are intentionally bred out to Comanches fought so hard for this land. Howling cold northerscontrol uniformity. eventually blow seeds to the winds.where ground nestingIf local adaptability to changing environmental conditions over quail, meadowlarks or grasshopper sparrows forage for food.time is important to you .consider planting diverse Native, For Ag producers, 'Lil Blu' greens up a month earlier thanNon-certified seeds. Usually the best adapted seeds are alien coastal bermuda and provides excellent grazing untilnatives harvested reasonably close to the planting site with no maturity. Native hay meadows are low-input. 'Lil Blu' doessupplemental breeding or trait selecting. How close? How everDpak $14 / 200 sq ft $29 / lbnot like petro-fertilizers. Good stewardship includes managedfar a buffalo can run. grazing, no late haying or short summer mowings, and a prescribed burn plan. Little Bluestem prairies can lastWhat is a Native Anyway?see centerfoldperpetually. 66n ativea MeRiCans eed 800 728 4043"