Little bluestem
When I was on a mission to photograph ladies’ tresses orchids on Westcave Loop south of Bee Cave on November 11th, what first caused me to stop in that neighborhood and get out of my car was a stand of little bluestem grass, Schizachyrium scoparium, that was turning warm colors as it produced its end-of-year seed tufts. Across the road from this drying grass is where I found the little white milkwort that you saw two posts back.
If you’d like to see the many places in the United States and Canada where this grass grows, you can check out the state-clickable map at the USDA website (unfortunately the Canadian provinces on the map aren’t clickable).
If you’re interested in photography as a craft, you’ll find that points 1, 2, 6, 9, 12 and 15 in About My Techniques are relevant to this photograph.
© 2013 Steven Schwartzman
It wasn’t so long ago the word “grass” evoked for me a vision of something green, uniformly trimmed and about four inches tall. It’s been fun to learn about these “other” grasses, and even be able to recognize a few. I do like the bluestems. They’re especially beautiful in the fall, as your photo shows. Our cypress are at this transitional stage, with the green of summer and colors of autumn mixed together. Just lovely.
This one’s cousin, the Big Bluestem, even has had a song written about it. I have to admire the way Tallgrass Express combined lyrics about rhizomes, roots, ligules, and carbon with a nice, bouncy tune.
shoreacres
December 11, 2013 at 7:13 AM
Growing up on suburban Long Island, I suffered from the same delusion about what grass looks like, namely a well-mowed lawn, and I had no idea that the two most common flowers growing in people’s lawns, dandelions and clover, were alien invasives from Eurasia. In around 1999 I finally learned that most grasses in nature grow in clumps or tufts and are primarily vertical, like the little bluestem shown here. I also learned that corn (maize), which I’ve always been fond of eating, is a grass. A group that calls itself Tallgrass Express (thanks for the link) obviously knows about such things, even if I didn’t.
Steve Schwartzman
December 11, 2013 at 7:35 AM
You’ve partnered with nature to create a lovely abstraction.
lensandpensbysally
December 11, 2013 at 7:18 AM
It’s a fruitful partnership, Sally (though sometimes a taxing one; my body would appreciate lower rates).
Steve Schwartzman
December 11, 2013 at 7:37 AM
Pretty. I was out this morning trying to capture the fuzzy side of life, but my camera won’t cooperate. I keep threatening to read the manual and learn to use its manual functions…
Lynda
December 11, 2013 at 6:09 PM
How apt: the manual for the manual functions. I’m glad to hear you’re pursuing the fuzzy side of life.
Steve Schwartzman
December 11, 2013 at 6:27 PM
Yes, I am, but just frustrated when my fuzzies are blurries.
Lynda
December 11, 2013 at 6:40 PM
So Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn’t fuzzy, was he?
Steve Schwartzman
December 11, 2013 at 6:51 PM
That would be correct. 😀
Lynda
December 11, 2013 at 10:29 PM
beautiful !!!!
gwenniesgarden
December 12, 2013 at 9:40 AM
I’m glad you see it that way.
Steve Schwartzman
December 12, 2013 at 8:47 PM