← Bedfellow

Blue Grama

Bouteloua gracilis

Shortgrass-prairie staple with distinctive comb- or eyebrow-shaped seed heads held out sideways. Drought-iron, low, and an excellent no-water lawn alternative. The seed has been ground into a traditional mush or bread flour.

Family

Poaceae

Type

grass

Lifespan

perennial

Height

0.75–2 ft

Spacing

1.5–2 ft apart

Light

sun

Soil moisture

dry, moist

Soil pH

neutral, alkaline

Bloom

July, August, September, October

Bloom colors

yellow

Wildlife value

songbirds, butterflies, larval host

Landscape uses

border, container, naturalizing

Native states

AZ, CA, CO, FL, IA, ID, IL, KS, MA, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OH, OK, SC, SD, TX, UT, WI, WY