Botanical Name: Bouteloua gracilis
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Common Name: Blue Grama  
Plant photo of: Bouteloua gracilis
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Water Saving Tip:

Water-wise plants can be beautiful as well as practical.

Take your 'My List' Hydrozone Report to a landscape designer, or local nursery, when selecting and purchasing plants.

  • Anatomy

  • Culture

  • Design

Plant Type

Ground cover, Perennial, Grass

 

Height Range

Under 1', 1-3'

 

Flower Color

Gold, Green

 

Flower Season

Summer, Fall

 

Leaf Color

Green, Yellow Green

 

Bark Color

n/a

 

Fruit Color

n/a

 

Fruit Season

n/a

Sun

Full

 

Water

Very Low

 

Growth Rate

Moderate, Slow

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular

 

Soil Condition

Average, Poor, Well-drained, Dry

 

Soil pH

Neutral, Basic

 

Adverse Factors

n/a

Design Styles

Japanese, Meadow, Mediterranean, Spanish

 

Accenting Features

Silhouette

 

Seasonal Interest

Summer, Fall

 

Location Uses

Perennial Border, Lawn, Parking Strip, Roadside, Walkways, With Rocks

 

Special Uses

Cut Flowers, Erosion Control, Mass Planting, Lawn Alternative, Naturalizing

 

Attracts Wildlife

n/a

Information by: Stephanie Duer
Photographer: El Nativo Growers, Inc.
  • Description

  • Notes

This warm-season grass is a plains native, and tolerates a wide range of soil conditions. Particularly useful as either a mowed or unmowed lawn. Unmowed, it grows up to 20 inches, including the flower. Attached to the stem at a right angle, the flowers resemble tiny combs. Flowers are attractive in arrangements. It can be mowed to a height of 2 inches for a more formal look, though you'll loose out on the attractive flower. Tolerant of drought and poor soils. Also attractive as single plants, especially tucked into rock gardens.
Basically disease- and pest-free. Grows best in full sun. If using as a lawn, mix with sideoats grama and buffalograss for an attractive, hardy turf. Mowing promotes thick sod development. As a warm-season grass, Blue Grama goes dormant when the temperatures drop in the fall.