Bouteloua gracilis
Blue grama
Common names: Mosquito grass, Blue grama grass
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Pot size
- from 10 l
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Flowering
- Jul–Sep
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −30 °C
- Water need
- Low
Photo: Public Domain · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Blue grama, botanically Bouteloua gracilis, is a prairie grass native to North America, where it dominates large areas of the short-grass prairie. It forms compact tufts of fine, blue-green leaves, and its flowering stems reach 30 to 60 cm in height. From July to September, small comb-like spikelets stand horizontally along the stems, resembling eyelashes or tiny mosquitoes, which gives the plant its name. They first shimmer reddish purple and later turn straw gold. In winter, the grass remains standing as a pale tuft. It suits steppe and gravel beds, rock gardens, sunny path edges, and pots and bowls. As a warm-season grass, it sprouts late, often not until May. This is entirely normal.
Care instructions
Plant blue grama in May in a full-sun, warm position with lean, well-draining soil. Water thoroughly during dry spells in the first summer; afterward it manages on its own. In containers, water only once the soil has dried out completely. No fertilizer is needed. Do not be alarmed if nothing appears until May, as the grass sprouts late. In March or April, cut the old stems back shortly above the ground before new growth begins. Common mistakes include a shaded or wet site, heavy fertilized soil, and assuming the plant has died over winter because it is not yet green. Be patient and wait until June.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingMar–May
FloweringJul–Sep
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 15 °C, ideally 25 °C
- Days to sprout
- 7 to 21 days
- Light
- Needs light to sprout
- Sowing depth
- 0.5 cm
- How to start
- Start indoors, then plant out
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, lean, sandy, dry
Blue grama comes from the short-grass prairies of North America and grows best on lean, well-drained, rather dry soil. Sandy loam, gravel or crushed stone are ideal; ordinary garden loam also works as long as the water drains away. Neutral to slightly calcareous soil suits it well. Wet, heavy or nutrient-rich soils do not agree with it: the grass goes soft and flops, and in wet winters it can rot.
Feeding
Light feeder
Blue grama needs no fertiliser. In the prairie it grows on barren soils, and too much food makes the clumps soft and makes them fall apart. Compost is not necessary either. In a container, it is enough to top up with some fresh, sandy soil every few years in spring.
Overwintering
Blue grama is fully hardy. Wet in winter harms it more than cold, especially on heavy soils. Leave the stems standing over winter; they are straw-coloured and decorate the bed. In a container, stand the pot on feet against a rain-sheltered house wall and water in winter only when the soil is completely dry and there is no frost.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
- Division
Blue grama is easy to raise from seed. Sow in March or April in trays with lean, sandy seed compost, cover the fine seeds with only a wafer-thin layer and keep them evenly moist at room temperature. After the Ice Saints in mid-May, plant the young plants outdoors. Direct sowing from May on sandy soil is also possible. Older clumps you divide with a spade only in May, once they are shooting well, because the grass starts late in the season.
For your garden
Grow Blue grama yourself
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