Schizachyrium Prairie Winds® 'Brush Strokes'

Schizachyrium Prairie Winds® 'Brush Strokes': Powder Blue Height Without the Width

'Brush Strokes' paints in straight vertical lines only. Powder blue all summer, then it dips the brush in red wine come fall and calls it art. THE CRITICS ARE SPEECHLESS.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Schizachyrium scoparium 'Brush Strokes'
• Common Name: Little Bluestem
• Series: Prairie Winds®, a Proven Winners® perennial
• Height: 80–90 cm (32–36 in)
• Spread: 55–65 cm (22–26 in)
• Flowers: Fine, tan seed heads along the upper stems
• Bloom Time: Late summer into early fall (August to September)
• Foliage: Powder blue stems and leaves that take on wine-red tones in early fall
• Features: Strongly vertical habit, heat tolerant, erosion control, fall interest

Where to Plant: Use it where you want height without width: narrow beds, along a fence or foundation, or in a row as a soft, see-through screen. It adds a strong vertical line to a mixed border and suits modern plantings, rooftops and big containers. The deep roots help hold soil on slopes.

Companion Plants: Give 'Brush Strokes' a sunny, dry bed with cherry pinks, a yellow peony and white hollyhocks. Dianthus Fruit Punch® 'Maraschino' edges the front with double cherry-red pinks at 23 to 28 cm from June to August. Paeonia 'Border Charm' opens yellow, red-flared peonies at 45 to 60 cm in May and June. Echinacea 'Mellow Limes' adds lime-green coneflowers at 80 cm from June to October. Alcea 'Polarstar' rises at the back to 150 to 180 cm with white hollyhocks.

Plant Care: Give it full sun and well-drained, average soil. Little bluestem prefers lean conditions. Too much fertilizer or water makes the stems soft and floppy. Water regularly in the first season, then only in long droughts. As a warm-season grass, it starts growing late in spring, so be patient. Leave it standing through winter. In early spring, before new shoots appear, cut the old stems down to about 10 cm (4 in). Divide in spring if the clump opens up in the middle after several years.

History: 'Brush Strokes' was bred by Walters Gardens in Zeeland, Michigan, and joined the Prairie Winds® collection as a Proven Winners® new variety for 2025. Its parent species, little bluestem, was named Perennial Plant of the Year® for 2022.

Final Thoughts: Heat, drought and deer all get turned away at the gallery door. Plant a few in a line. INSTANT MASTERPIECE, NO ART SCHOOL DEBT.