Native to the Midwest, 'Red Bull' grows 88 inches tall and 48 inches wide, with its green leaves turning a striking orange, purple, and red in the fall. The purple flowers appear on the stems in the late summer and early fall. It grows best in full sun and moist, well-drained soil and enjoys the heat. It is most effective when grouped into large drifts and makes an excellent ground cover for parks, highway medians, prairie gardens, and perennial beds.

The genus Andropogon contains more than 200 species in every part of the world; in North American prairies it was once found in every continental state. Though replaced by farmlands and greatly reduced in numbers, they are starting to make a comeback in restored prairies and home gardens. Their common name, big bluestem, denotes their purplish blue flower stems that can reach 10 feet tall.