Bouteloua gracilis
Bouteloua gracilis 80% of ETo at midsummer. Photo: SK Reid.
Summary
UC Davis is located in Davis, California, this site has a silty clay loam soil and plants are irrigated with potable water. More information about the field sites is located in the Nuts & Bolts section.
Commonly called blue grama grass or eyelash grass, Bouteloua gracilis is a long-lived prairie grass native to North America. This tidy bunching grass puts up attractive long spikes with seedheads almost at a 90° angle to the stem. There was no significant difference in growth or appearance between irrigation treatments in our trial, and plants were completely unbothered by pests or disease.
This tough and appealing perennial grass is easily grown in a low-water garden. The only maintenance required to keep it looking attractive is an annual short haircut to remove old leaves and flowering stems in late winter or very early spring.
Blue gramma grass seed heads close-up. Photo: SK Reid.
Basic Info
| Submitted by: | UC Davis Arboretum All-Stars |
| Site(s): | UC Davis |
| Trial Exposure: | Sun |
| Year evaluated: | 2007 |
| Height after 2 years: | 3' |
| Reported Height & Width at maturity: | .75-2' x 1.5-2' |
| WUCOLS plant type: | G N |
| Water Needs & WUCOLS Region: | Low - Region 2 |
Mean Overall Appearance rating: (1-5 Scale, 5 is highest) | BR |
| Flowering Months: | Summer-Fall |
Growth and Quality Data
Click Here for Complete Data Set
Bouteloua gracilis 20% of ETo at midsummer. Photo: SK Reid.
Blue gramma grass seed heads. Photo: SK Reid.