Schizachyrium scoparium 'The Blues'
Good Qualities:
Year 1:
Interesting foliage, vertical accent; Easy, nice color, easy size to use; Nice color and easy to pick; Nice for filler - gives a natural look to bouquets. Dries well too - but dried doesn't look any different than plain old bluestem; Too early to tell.
Year 2:
No pests, nice ornamental grass for landscape.
Problems:
Year 1:
Florists seemed uninterested; Determining when and how to harvest - think it's best to cut all at once... but how did others handle it; Too early to tell.
Year 2:
Stems too thin and few to make a bunch (100+).
Trial Data
Year 1
| Plants alive at end of summer (%) | Plants flowering (%) | Yield (stems/plant) | Stem Length (inches) | Market Appreciation Rating - Wholesale (1) | Market Appreciation Rating - Retail (1) | Market Appreciation Rating - Consumer (1) | Repeat Again Rating (1) | Ease of Cultivation Rating (1) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average | 100.0 | 100.0 | 19.2 | 19.9 | - | 2.0 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 5.0 |
(1) 1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the best. Market ratings are based on sales to wholesalers, retailers, or final consumers direct.
Year 2
| Yield (stems/plant) | Stem Length (inches) | Market Appreciation Rating - Wholesale (1) | Market Appreciation Rating - Retail (1) | Market Appreciation Rating - Consumer (1) | Repeat Again Rating (2) | Ease of Cultivation Rating (2) | Average Spacing (in2) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average | 50 | 27.5 | 18 | 1 | - | - | 1 | 5 |
| Range of Responses | 0-100 | 27.5-0 | 18-0 | 1-0 | - | - | 1-0 | 5-0 |
(1) Data shown are from those respondents who harvested stems. Some respondents may not have harvested stems because they were too short. Flowering stems may be longer next year after plants are established. See comments section for more details.
(2) 1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the best. Market ratings are based on sales to wholesalers, retailers, or final consumers direct.
Supplier
North Creek Nursery (NC)
388 North Creek Rd.
Landenberg, PA 19350
610-255-0100
FAX 610-255-4762
Comments:
Year 1:
Tough plants; no fatalities; Didn't cut any of the perennials in this years trials because of weather and to let them get established; I really think this is an incredible landscaping plant; Needs 2nd year to evaluate.
Year 2:
None