San Marcos Growers LogoSan Marcos Growers
Home Products Purchase Gardens About Us Resources Contact Us
Nursery Closure
Search Utilities
Plant Database
Search Plant Name
Detail Search Avanced Search Go Button
Search by size, origins,
details, cultural needs
Website Search Search Website GO button
Search for any word
Site Map
Retail Locator
Plant Listings

PLANT TYPE
PLANT GEOGRAPHY
PLANT INDEX
ALL PLANT LIST
PLANT IMAGE INDEX
PLANT INTROS
SPECIALTY CROPS
SMG NEW PLANTS

LIVE AVAILABILITY
  for AUGUST


Natives at San Marcos Growers
Succulents at San Marcos Growers
 Weather Station

 
Products > Sisyrinchium californica
 
Sisyrinchium californica - Golden-Eyed Grass

Note: This plant is no longer in stock. This is an archive page preserved for informational use.  
Image of Sisyrinchium californica
 
Habit and Cultural Information
Category: Perennial
Family: Iridaceae (Irises)
Origin: California (U.S.A.)
California Native (Plant List): Yes
Flower Color: Yellow
Bloomtime: Spring/Summer
Height: <1 foot
Width: <1 foot
Exposure: Full Sun
Irrigation (H2O Info): Aquatic
Winter Hardiness: <15° F
Sisyrinchium californicum (Golden-Eyed Grass) - This perennial herb grows in a clump to 1 ft tall with gray-green narrow grass-like leaves. The small but showy yellow flowers are present May through July.

Plant in full sun and give regular irrigation. Cold hardy below to 15 F and resistant to deer predation. Self sows in wet areas and also tolerates occasional mowing

Sisyrinchium californica is native along the west coast of North America from British Columbia south to central California, where it grows in coastal moist habitats. The name for the genus comes from Ancient Greek word 'Sisyrinchíon' that was used by Pliny the_Elder and Theophrastus for the Barbary nut iris (Iris or Moraea sisyrinchium). It refers to word 'sisıra' meaning a shaggy goat's-hair coat for the corm tunics resemblance though the reason for applying this name to a genus of the New World Iridaceae is apparently arbitrary. The specific epithet is a reference to nativity to California. It is also called Yellow Eyed Grass. We grew this plant from 1998 to 2007 but discontinued when we stopped growing plants with higher water needs. We continue to grow its relatives, the blue-eyed grass relative Sisyrinchium bellum and Palm-leaf Yellow-Eyed Grass Sisyrinchium palmifolium

The information displayed on this page about Sisyrinchium californica is based on our research conducted about this plant from books in our nursery library as well as from information that is provided by reliable online resources. We also have included our own observations made about it as it grew in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers when we had them in our nursery field. We also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.

 
We closed for regular business at the end of 2025 in order for the property to be developed for affordable housing.
Our gates remain closed but we will open them by appointment to interested parties through August 21st to liquidate remaining plants, supplies and equipment.
The plants remaining in the field are listed on our
Live Inventory Page.
 
  [MORE INFO]