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Products > Bouteloua gracilis   Bouteloua gracilis - Blue Grama Grass Note: This plant is not currently for sale. This is an archive page preserved for informational use.     Habit and Cultural Information 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 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 in our nursery library and from online sources as well as from observations made of this plant as it grows in our nursery, in the nursery's garden and in other gardens that we have visited. We have also incorporated comments received from others and always appreciate getting feedback of any kind from those who have some additional information, particularly if this information is contrary to what we have written or includes additional cultural tips that would aid others in growing  Bouteloua gracilis.     [MORE INFO]