Andropogon gerardii Prairie Proud® Rainbow Pillar®
Blooming Time
Exposure
Rainbow Pillar® Dazzles with a kaleidoscope of color throughout the seasons. Beginning in spring with dense clumps of blue and purple-hued foliage, by late summer it shoots up stiff flower stems of amber and coral, banded with indigo and purple. Topped with wind-responsive, purple-hued, turkey-foot inflorescences, these rain and wind-resistant columns bring a colorful / architectural element to the landscape. An excellent native cultivar for borders, privacy screening and for the back-of-the-border.
Details
Hardiness Zone:
Blossom Color:
Violet to Purple
Growth Habit:
Clump Forming
Max Height:
7'
Texture:
Recommended Spacing:
We sell this plant in these containers:
Special Characteristics
Features
Dense clumps of blue and purple-hued foliage, with summer borne stems of amber and coral, banded with indigo and purple, topped with wind-responsive, purple-hued, turkey-foot inflorescences.
Landscape Value
Borders, privacy screening, back-of-the-border, and companion to many.
Care
Watering:
Rainbow Pillar® Big Blue Stem is very drought tolerant and typically only needs watering during the hottest days of summer.
Fertilizing:
Rainbow Pillar® Big Blue Stem needs little fertilizer, but benefits from a single springtime or fall topdressing (about 1 inch deep) of organic compost or well rotted leaves. Alternatively, a springtime application of a slow release fertilizer with a 3-1-2 ratio (such as a 15-5-10) can be applied at a rate of about 10 pounds per 1000 square feet.
Pruning:
Rainbow Pillar® Big Blue Stem should be enjoyed all winter long, then, during early April before it begins to grow again, it should be pruned or mowed back to ground level.