A closer look at bushy bluestem
Click for better clarity.
Here’s a closer look at the bushy bluestem, Andropogon glomeratus, that I found growing at the Riata Trace Pond in northwest Austin on November 8.
For more information about the wet-ground-loving Andropogon glomeratus, including a state-clickable map showing the many places in the United States where it grows, you can visit the USDA website.
© 2012 Steven Schwartzman
So pretty. Very nice macro.
petspeopleandlife
November 29, 2012 at 3:47 pm
Makes you want to live in there, doesn’t it?
Steve Schwartzman
November 29, 2012 at 5:09 pm
Glad you posted this close-up. It’s such a pretty grass.
naturesnippets
November 29, 2012 at 7:45 pm
I’d say it’s the prettiest native grass we have in Austin.
Steve Schwartzman
November 29, 2012 at 9:46 pm
I have read so many things where this was mentioned. It’s nice to see some excellent photos of the plant!
montucky
November 30, 2012 at 12:16 am
Thanks, Terry. I’m sorry for your sake that this species seems to require a warmer climate than that of Montana. I was surprised in two ways when I looked at the USDA map and found bushy bluestem on Long Island, where I grew up. For one thing, that’s a colder place than I would have expected for this generally southern species, and for another thing I don’t remember bushy bluestem from my childhood, even though I probably saw it.
Steve Schwartzman
November 30, 2012 at 4:36 am
I see that it also grows in Arizona where I spent a lot of years, but I don’t remember seeing it there either.
montucky
November 30, 2012 at 9:40 am
Sounds like a handy excuse for a visit to Arizona, maybe in February after months of frigid weather in Montana, when that warm Arizona sunshine would be mighty welcome.
Steve Schwartzman
November 30, 2012 at 9:47 am
That is so tempting!
montucky
November 30, 2012 at 9:57 am
Do you suppose it’s the moderating marine influence that allowed it to take root there? I have a friend who lives on Cape Cod, and an acquaintance in coastal Maine. They’ve both expressed surprised at plants they’ve found in their areas they didn’t expect, and the commonality seems to be the water.
shoreacres
December 1, 2012 at 6:57 am
The commonality of water is certainly plausible, but I honestly don’t know. I wish I’d taken at least one botany course in college so I’d have a better grasp of such things.
Steve Schwartzman
December 1, 2012 at 9:17 am
Well, I’ve compared and compared and I think I did indeed find some bushy bluestem at Anahuac.
shoreacres
December 1, 2012 at 7:20 pm
That’s definitely it!
Steve Schwartzman
December 1, 2012 at 9:45 pm