Bothriochloa bladhii
Australian Bluestem is an aggressive, non-native warm-season perennial grass introduced to North America for livestock forage and roadside erosion control. Highly adaptable to drought and low-nutrient alkaline soils, it forms dense monotypic tussocks that exude allelopathic chemicals from root zones to actively suppress neighboring native vegetation. Across Central Texas rangelands, it aggressively displaces diverse native bunchgrasses like Little Bluestem, Side-oats Grama, and Green Sprangletop. This monotypic invasion degrades soil microbial health, alters natural fire regimes, and eliminates critical open foraging and nesting habitat for ground-dwelling prairie birds like Northern Bobwhite and Grasshopper Sparrows.
Height: 1-3 ft.
Spread: 2-5 ft.
Foliage: Deciduous
Growth Rate: Moderate
Water Need: Low
Sun Need: Part Sun, Full Sun
Substrate / Soil: Limestone, Loam, Gravelly
Bloom Season: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov
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