bluestem

[ bloo-stem ]

/ ˈbluˌstɛm /

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noun

any of several prairie grasses of the genus Andropogon, having bluish leaf sheaths, now grown in the western U.S. for forage.

dwarf palmetto.

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Origin of bluestem

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55; blue + stem¹

Words nearby bluestem

blue spruce, blues-rock, blue stain, blue state, blue stellar object, bluestem, bluestocking, bluestone, blue straggler, blue streak, blue succory

Other definitions for bluestem (2 of 2)

blue stem

noun Plant Pathology.

a disease of raspberries and blackberries, characterized by blue discoloration of the stem, wilting, and discoloration and decay of the roots, caused by a fungus, Verticillium alboatrum.

How to use bluestem in a sentence

Instead of a monoculture, Bermudagrass now blends in with native grasses like fescue, bluestem and Kentucky bluegrass.
This historic Brooklyn cemetery shows us a future without lawns|Ryan Goldberg|November 17, 2021|Popular-Science
The uppermost station was situated in bluestem pasture without benefit of shade from trees.
Fishes of Chautauqua, Cowley and Elk Counties, Kansas|Artie L. Metcalf
Nests are placed on the ground, usually in bluestem pasture, but in any case grasses.
The Breeding Birds of Kansas|Richard F. Johnston
The study area includes the zone of transition from bluestem or tall-grass prairie to the buffalo grass or short-grass prairie.
Food of the Crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos Brehm, in South-central Kansas|Dwight Platt

Of young trees there were most on the bluestem prairie area, less on the former pastures and least on the fallow fields.
The Forest Habitat of the University of Kansas Natural History Reservation|Henry S. Fitch
Evidently the tree does not become established readily on bluestem prairie.
The Forest Habitat of the University of Kansas Natural History Reservation|Henry S. Fitch