State Grass Initiative
What is the Initiative
The Kansas Native Plant Society (KNPS) is promoting Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) to be named by the Kansas State Legislature as the State Grass of Kansas.
Little Bluestem
Why Little Bluestem was chosen
Why we need your help
Legislative action for State Symbols must be initiated and supported by Kansas school students. A high school from Shawnee Mission convinced their representative to place a bill before the Legislature. Now it is up to all of us to persuade the representatives to pass the bill.
There are three ways you can help
- Join the initiative
- Teach about little bluestem
- Contact your state representatives
1. Join the initiative
Help your students be a part of naming little bluestem as the State Grass of Kansas. When you join the initiative, we will record information about your school, post your school to our web site, and add you to our Littleblue email list. The email list is an ideal way to communicate with each other and to receive updates from KNPS. See is your school is on the list of particpating schools.
2. Teach about little bluestem
Use the following materials to help teach your students about little bluestem.
- Meet Little Bluestem, a story written by Little Bluestem
- Little Blue's Story, a story involving the other state plants and animals
- Little Bluestem Facts, a little bluestem fact sheet
- Visit Little Bluestem, where you can find little bluestem
- Scavenger Hunt, a research scavenger hunt
- Crossword Puzzle, a companion to Little Blue's Story
- Coloring Sheets, drawings of Little Bluestem
- Photo Gallery, images of Little Bluestem
- Resources, more information on Little Bluestem
3. Contact your state representatives
Assist and guide your students in contacting and persuading state representatives to promote and support the naming of the state grass.
- Locate and contact your state representatives about Little Blue
- Sample Letters, send sample letters to your state representatives
- 2007 House Bill (PDF), learn about the house bill
Why a state grass?
The symbols that represent Kansas, such as the State Flower, the Annual Sunflower, and the State Tree, the Cottonwood, teach our children about the place where they live. Kansas is a grassland ecosystem, yet we do not have a State Grass. As a symbol of the prairies of Kansas, a State Grass will focus the attention of Kansans of all ages on the prairie ecosystem. The heritage of the prairies is strong in Kansas, yet many children and adults who live in cities and towns may not be aware of the many ways the grasslands contribute to our quality of life.
Why little bluestem?
Several native grasses are considered dominant in pastures and prairies across the state, but the one species that is found in every county of Kansas is Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium). Little Bluestem is a native perennial with a dense root system reaching five to eight feet into the soil. It is drought resistant and grows from two to five feet tall in deep, shallow or rocky soils. It is important for wildlife habitat. It was once the most abundant grass in the Great Plains and is still of major importance in the tall, mixed and shortgrass prairies where it can produce one to two tons of biomass per acre. This grass is nutritious and palatable for cattle and bison, especially after a spring burn, when the new growth is highly attractive to grazers.
Teach about prairies
By adopting a State Grass for Kansas, educators will have the opportunity to teach about native prairies, emphasizing their economic, ecological, historical and aesthetic values. The graceful grasses are a hallmark of the prairies. They dominate the landscape and provide food and forage for our population. It is time to add this fundamental icon to the symbols that represent "natural" Kansas to our residents and visitors.
