Needs substantial water during establishment, then relatively drought tolerant. Nodules on the roots of the plant, with the help of Rhizobium bacteria, fix nitrogen. Grow as a groundcover. Can be used as a turf replacement and can be mowed. Not good for heavy traffic. Tends not to have good cover during late fall through early spring.

The blue fruits on this tree are actually fleshy cones. Often used as a screen by planting in one or two fairly dense rows. Also useful as a background tree.  Can be a specimen tree.

This was one of the important grasses of the mid-western prairies. Survives occasional flooding and repeated burning. Plant in the rear of a wildflower garden. The flower/fuit stalk is quite showy with a golden plume (the stamens are yellow)in mid-fall. The stems and fruit retain a golden straw color through the fall. The remainder of the year, the grass is much lower (about 2 ft) and blue-green in color.

Groundcover for dry sites. Clonal (forms small clumps of stems).It has deep red foliage in fall.

Its small to medium size make it appropriate for small landscapes as a specimen tree.

The natural distribution in Florida is predominantly related to soil and drainage conditions.  If you provide them, it should grow successfully from Lake County northward. Specimen tree especially for moist sites.

This plant can be used as a background planting that will create a light orange haze during the late fall and winter months. Andropogon virgnicus var. glaucus (chalky bluestem) is very light blue-green in color and grows in dry sites. Background planting or as a casual tall bunching or clumping grass in meadow-like settings.

If grown in a freshwater environment, S. patens will grow much bigger. Use as a shoreling stabilization plant on edges of sand beaches and saltmarsh.