Andropogon hallii Purple Konza

Andropogon hallii 'Purple Konza' is a particularly colourful form of the Sand Bluestem, a North American grass aptly named in its native land due to its bluish vegetation. It forms an upright tuft of medium size, sturdy against the wind, with stems that turn blue-violet to reddish and long leaves that turn reddish-brown-coppery at the end of the season. Its late summer flowering is quite spectacular, with long plume-like inflorescences that turn reddish-brown with coppery highlights. Superb in wild or meadow-like flower beds, this grass is particularly suitable for poor, even dry soil.

Andropogon hallii belongs to the large family Poaceae, the 'true' grasses. This perennial herbaceous plant is native to the hot and dry regions of the United States, where it can be found in a vast area ranging from the Mississippi River to the west to the Rocky Mountains, as well as in southern Canada and the Chihuahua region in northern Mexico. It is a very hardy species that thrives in sandy and poor, even limestone soils. This tall and resilient grass is easy to cultivate in our gardens. Once well established, it withstands dry summers quite well.

Andropogon Purple Konza slowly forms a tightly compact tuft with a vertical but flexible habit, reaching about 1m (3ft) in height and 60-70 cm (24-28in) in width. Sometimes slow to establish and non-invasive, this grass proves to be durable and vigorous over time. Its stiff stems, called culms, are more or less bluish and speckled with reddish-brown. They bear thin and long flattened leaves of a bluish greyish green colour. In autumn, this foliage gradually takes on shades of red, purple, brown, and copper. Flowering occurs in August-September, depending on the climate. At the tips of the floral stems, inflorescences develop, reaching 1.20m (4ft)-1.30m (4ft) above the ground. These spikes are adorned with a multitude of small yellow flowers that turn orange and reddish-brown and become covered in bristles. The deciduous foliage dries up in late autumn and reappears in spring.

Plant this Andropogon hallii 'Purple Konza' in a large border or in a flower bed alongside other robust plants that populate the great prairies of North America: echinaceas, coreopsis, rudbeckias, asters, mugworts, sunflowers (helianthus), gauras, Penstemon barbatus, verbena Buenos Aires, agastaches, baptisias... Like all grasses, it is indispensable for bringing lightness to neighbouring plants, whether perennials or bushes.