To Grass Species

Sand Bluestem (Andropogon hallii)

Plant Species
From Montana Interagency Plant Materials Handbook *
 By S. Smoliak, R.L. Ditterline, J.D. Scheetz, L.K. Holzworth, J.R. Sims, L.E. Wiesner, D.E. Baldridge, and G.L. Tibke

Sand bluestem is an excellent soil stabilizer on sandy soils. Used with other physical or chemical soil stabilizers, a grass mixture including sand bluestem will occupy and stabilize the site.

Description

Sand bluestem is a native, warm-season, perennial, tall grass that spreads by seed and elongation of scaly, creeping rhizomes. The sheaths are shorter than the internodes and without hair. The blades are 8 to 12 inches long and 1/8 to 3/8 inch wide and smooth. Seed heads are extremely hairy. Produce seed in August to October on seed stalks 3 to 8 feet tall. Inflorescence, a raceme, villous with sessile spikelet.

Adaptation

Sand bluestem is usually found west of the 30-inch rainfall belt. It grows best on sand hills and sandy soils throughout the central part of the United States from Canada to Texas and from Oklahoma to Arizona.

Limitations

Seed is small and must be seeded very shallow. It is not a high producing grass for forage on soils other than sandy sites.

Use for Hay

It is a high producing grass on favorable sites (sandy soils).

Use for Pasture

Sand bluestem is one of the most widespread and most productive native grasses on sandy sites in the southern Great Plains. It is relished by all classes of livestock. If sand bluestem is grazed closer than 6 to 8 inches during the growing season it decreases and is replaced by less productive plants. Heavy creeping rhizomes help this grass to tolerate longer under close grazing and to spread more rapidly when properly managed. On some ranges, abusive grazing has eliminated this grass except for plants protected from livestock by brush.

Seed Production

Row plantings when side dressed with 30 to 40 pounds of nitrogen per acre have produced 200 to 400 pounds of seed, combine run.

* The Montana Interagency Plant Materials Handbook (EB69) is no longer in print, but is available for viewing in
Montana County Extension Service and National Resource Conservation Service Offices.