Growing guide · Grasses

Andropogon gerardii 'Red October'

How to grow Big Bluestem 'Red October'.

Tallgrass prairie, in red.

Light
Full sun
Water
Low
Zones
4–9
Size
4–6 ft tall, 2–3 ft wide
Spacing
2–3 ft apart.
Pets
Not on the ASPCA pet-safe list; keep it out of reach
See sizes · from $61.99
Upright clump of big bluestem grass with blades turning deep red and wine

Light

Full sun. Shade makes it floppy and dulls the red.

Water

Water weekly the first summer. Once established it handles drought with deep roots.

Planting and soil

Plant in spring or early summer, once the soil warms, crown level with the soil.

Feeding

None. Feeding makes it soft and floppy.

Pruning

Leave it up for winter. Cut it to 4–6 in. in late winter.

Through the year

Warm-season grass: slow to show in spring, tall by midsummer, seed heads in August, red from September.

If something's off

Flopping means too much shade, water or nitrogen. Don't give up on it in May; it wakes up late.

Plays well with

Plant it with friends.

Short's Goldenrod 'Solar Cascade'
Solidago shortiiShort's Goldenrod 'Solar Cascade' from $30.99
Coneflower 'White Swan'
Echinacea purpureaConeflower 'White Swan' from $29.99
Russian SageSold out · notify me
Salvia yangiiRussian Sage from $21.99 Notify me when it's back

Why we stock it: A native prairie grass with real structure and a fall color that goes properly red.

Grows wild in 35 states (USDA PLANTS records). About 14 native butterfly and moth species use Andropogon as a host (Narango et al. 2020).

That's everything we know about growing it. Thanks for reading.

Know someone with the right spot? Send them this.

Next
Find your next plant →
All grasses →How we label →
The Sunday Tip · every Sunday

One good plant idea,
every Sunday.

What to plant this week in your zone, every Sunday. New ways to plant and odd tricks that actually work.