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Poaceae
Andropogon

not marked as a favorite taxon Andropogon gerardi Vitman. Common name: Big Bluestem, Turkeyfoot. Phenology: Jul-Nov. Habitat: In a wide variety of habitats, usually rather dry, such as longleaf pine sandhills, glades, cliffs, and rock outcrops, in the Piedmont in woodlands, former prairie-like sites, woodlands, open forests, and river-scour grasslands, in the Mountains in glades, riverside scour areas, and rarely in grassy balds, ascending to at least 1600 m over mafic rocks (on Old Field Bald, Watauga and Ashe counties, NC). Distribution: QC west to SK, south to FL and AZ and Mexico.

Glossary (beta!)

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Taxonomy Comments: Some favor treating A. hallii Hackel as a subspecies of A. gerardi (Wipff 1996c); I do not agree, but if that course is followed, then our eastern taxon becomes A. gerardi ssp. gerardi. The spelling of the epithet has been variable. IPNI (2024) stated: "The honoree's name Gérard (or Gerard) is in a well-established Latinized form [Louis Gérard published in Latin, e.g., Ludovici Gerardi … Flora Gallo-provincialis, Cum Iconibus aeneis]. Since Vitman published the epithet as Gerardi, the same is retained here and not corrected to gerardii."

Synonymy ⓘ: = Can, G, HC, K4, NY, POWO, Tat, Tx, WV; = Andropogon gerardii Vitman — Ar, C, FlGr, FNA25, GW1, Il, Mi, NE, NS, Pa, RAB, Tn, Va, W, WH3, orthographic variant; = Andropogon gerardii Vitman ssp. gerardii — ETx1, NcTx; = Andropogon provincialis Lam. — S; > Andropogon chrysocomus Nash — S13; > Andropogon furcatus Muhl. ex Willd. — S13; > Andropogon gerardi Vitman var. gerardi — F; < Andropogon gerardii Vitman — Mex; > Andropogon gerardii Vitman var. chrysocomus — F, Mo1; > Andropogon gerardii Vitman var. gerardii — Mo1; > Andropogon tennesseensis Scribn. — S13. Basionym: Andropogon gerardi Vitman 1792

Links to other floras: = Andropogon gerardii - FNA25

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Wetland Indicator Status:

  • Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FAC (name change)
  • Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FAC (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
  • Great Plains: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
  • Midwest: FAC (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
  • Northcentral & Northeast: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)

Heliophily ⓘ: 9

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image #1 of Andropogon gerardi© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
image #2 of Andropogon gerardi© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image #3 of Andropogon gerardi© Aidan Campos source | Original Image ⭷
image #4 of Andropogon gerardi© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
image #5 of Andropogon gerardi© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image #6 of Andropogon gerardi© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image #7 of Andropogon gerardi© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image #8 of Andropogon gerardi© Collectors SOS | Original Image ⭷
image #9 of Andropogon gerardi© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
image #11 of Andropogon gerardi© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image #12 of Andropogon gerardi© Bruce Sorrie | Original Image ⭷
image #13 of Andropogon gerardi© Bruce Sorrie | Original Image ⭷
image #16 of Andropogon gerardi© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image #19 of Andropogon gerardi© Bruce A. Sorrie | Original Image ⭷
image #20 of Andropogon gerardi© Scott Ward; Cumberland River sandstone cobble riverscour grassland | Original Image ⭷
image #21 of Andropogon gerardi© Scott Ward, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Scott Ward source CC-BY | Original Image ⭷
image #23 of Andropogon gerardi© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image #24 of Andropogon gerardi© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷

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Horticultural Information

NCBG trait

Intro:

Stems:

Leaves: Blue-green foliage.

Inforescence:

Flowers:

Fruits:

Comments:

Height: 4-8 ft.

plant sale text: This quintessential prairie grass thrives in a wide range of soil types and is tolerant of both drought and salt. This attractive native was once an important forage for migratory herds of bison in the mid-west. It serves as a host plant for the Delaware Skipper and the Dusted Skipper. Established specimens will lend subtle blue tones to any landscape which fade into a nice russet brown later in the season. The genus supports up to 11 lepidoptera species.

bloom table text:

description:

stems:

leaves: Blue-green foliage.

inflorescence:

flowers:

fruits:

comments:

cultural notes:

germination code:

native range: eastern & central N. America



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