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| Category: Grass |
| Family: Poaceae (Gramineae) (Grasses) |
| Origin: California (U.S.A.) |
| Flower Color: Wheat |
| Bloomtime: Summer |
| Synonyms: [Chondrosum gracile] |
| Height: <1 foot |
| Width: <1 foot |
| Exposure: Full Sun |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: < 0 °F |
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Bouteloua gracilis (Blue Grama) A long-lived warm season tufted perennial grass with fine-textured gray-green leaves from 6 to 12 inches tall with dainty flowers held horizontally like small purple flags on stems that rise above the foliage in early summer and hold seed heads into fall. Plant in full sun in most any soil so long as it is well-drained. Water occasionally to very little - plants fill in faster and look best when irrigated but this is a drought tolerant grass and is very cold tolerant. Blue Grama, also called Mosquito Grass, is native to much of North America from Manitoba Canada south and west across the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, and Midwest states to Mexico. Some recent sources (2013), including The Plant List (the collaboration between the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and Missouri Botanic Gardens), list the current name of this plant as Chondrosum gracile, while other reputable sources, such as the Jepson Project (the Bible of all plants Californian) and the Flora of North America list the current name as Bouteloua gracilis, so we are sticking with the familiar name until such time as this name change get much wider recognition.
The information on this page is based on research conducted about this plant in our library and from reliable online sources. We also take into consideration observations of this plant in our nursery crops, as well as of plants growing in the nursery's garden and those in other gardens we visit. We also will incorporate comments that we receive from others and welcome getting feedback from anyone who may have additional information, particularly if it includes cultural information that would aid others in growing Bouteloua gracilis. |
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