Little bluestem, Schizachyrium scoparium
 
Little bluestem is a striking ornamental garden plant. So popular that dozens of cultivars exist. Its stems are bluish in spring and become an attractive orange-tan colour in fall with showy, fluffy seedheads that last through the winter. Little bluestem is a key component of Ontario's tall grass prairie ecosystems. Less than 1% of it remains in the southwestern tip of Ontario. Little bluestem's extremely long, fibrous root systems help control erosion and lock in even more carbon into the soil than trees do. 
 
Ecology:
Grasses don't seem like ecological superstars, but they are. Little bluestem is a host plant for various skippers and provides seeds and nesting material for many bird species. Ground-nesting bees like the bare soil offered by the arching and clump-building form to excavate their nests around the root balls. Bumblebees often hibernate between grasses, and birds take cover under the arching blades from strong winter winds. Little bluestem often doesn't need to be cut back in the spring. 
 
Growing conditions:
Little bluestem occurs in shortgrass and tallgrass prairies as well as in sandy shores and alvars. It naturally grows in full sun and does best in full sun in the garden. As a warm-season grass, it grows fast and thrives in the summer heat and humidity. It requires average to dry, well-drained soil, which can be poor. Little bluestem is drought-tolerant once established. It is clump-forming, so it doesn't spread by rhizomes but can fill in empty places by self-seeding.