The Blue Grama Grass You Can't Forget
The Blue Grama Grass can be found almost anywhere you go and is things like cattle prairies and long and short prairies. Blue Grama Grass is originally found in Alberta in Canada and runs through the Rockies into Mexico. Blue Grama Grass can be spotted most anywhere, making most think of the "Great Plains" and most people recognize the Blue Grama Grass right away.
The Blue Grama Grass is unique and has several characteristics that people and animals can admire. The Blue Grama Grass can survive in many climates serving as a food source for animals and prairies while surviving in harsh climates. This Grass is a beautiful and ecological sustainable grass making it a great option for gardeners.
Why the Low Maintenance Blue Grama Grass
This grass can withstand drought due to its thick and shallow root system letting it absorb the smallest rainfall it can get. This root system is excellent at stopping soil erosion. In fact, if the native Blue Grama wasn’t removed for farming the once devastating dust bowl of the 1930’s could have been avoided.
This grass is pleasing to the eye, growing 6 to 12 inches tall. With grass leaves standing 1/8 of an inch wide and being flat and pointed. In June to August the grass sends its flowers which are at the end of a stem and can get up to 18 inches tall. They have a unique appearance, like eyelashes. This plant does create seeds and the grass spreads vegetatively through tillers, which also allows it to form its clumping sod.
Ideal Conditions for Thriving Growth
In the southern states, including mountain ranges and wide-open prairies, Blue Grama performs its best. Out there, it becomes a grazing banquet for bison and antelopes. This grass thrives where the lands are dry. A drought for it is not a threat but a chance to show its resilience. However, it cannot survive where there is saturation or continuously moist.
This grass is also temperate in dark substrata or field soils, and is even fire resistant, unless fire happens early in the season of the plants or when the weak, young plant suffers. For the most recommended results, Blue Grama Grass should be sown in a stable and weed free surroundings. It has a method of water usage that is efficient, and during periods of moisture it will use water rapidly, while dry periods will be more conservative.
This grass is hardy but can also be home to certain insects. Grasshoppers and June Beetle larvae (grubs) can suck its nutrients and die, but that’s normal for its part in the ecosystem. It provides food to animals and is a home to them while equally adding beauty to a natural garden or lawn, making its versatility its best asset.
A Gardener’s Take on Native Landscapes
Having spent decades gardening, I have a special admiration for native plants. Blue Grama Grass (Bouteloua gracilis) has always been a pleasure. This warm-season grass and a super plant of the North American prairie can survive all kinds of tough conditions but also turns the prairie grass into instant beauty when blooming. Blue Grama is a super plant and worth its weight in gold. All the more, if you are designing a wildlife garden, xeriscapes, and prairie style meadows.
It's the kind of grass that can work with any soil, and is a grass. I’ve seen it thrive in sandy loam, on gritty slopes, and very dry a lot of the time. Its leaves are a pale blue-green color and rippled in the wind. It is a very calming tempo in a yard. Then by mid summer, tiny eyelashes (this is what I call the seed heads) appear and are very unique and have their own rhythm to the garden when the wind blows.
Planting this grass is very easy, both seeds and plugs work, if you can place them into decent sunshine and a well-drained soil. After the grass takes hold it does very well on its own. A dream plant for sustainable and native loving gardeners.
Combining Blue Grama with Other Native Plants
Blue Grama looks great by itself, but it looks even better when combined with other native plants with the same growing needs. If you want that traditional prairie vibe, consider plants that compliment Blue Grama, such as Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) which has amazing fall colors, or the Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) along with Black Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) as they attract many pollinators with their colorful blooms.
To achieve a design for a garden that is hotter and drier, the Blue Grama can be combined with heat tolerant plants such as succulents or with perennials like Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) to garner a unique and drought tolerant garden. These other plants have much bolder structures, and the contrasted softness of the Blue Grama will make for a great look.
The Ecological Importance of Grama Grass
The Blue Grama Grass is more than just a great looking plant. It is also very important to the ecosystem. It acts as a habitat, providing food and shelter for many birds, beneficial insects, and small mammals. One of the best things about gardens is the butterflies, and watching them land on the delicate seed heads is a truly simple, but delightful, experience.
Last but not least, this grass promotes the overall health of the soil as well. Its long, thick root systems hold the soil in place, making it a top, natural choice for preventing erosion along slopes and in bare expanses. It's a tough, iconic, and sensible option for landscape designers in arid regions wishing to sustain a green, living ecosystem.
Having gardened for many, many years, I can say for certain that Blue Grama Grass will perform well for gardeners. And while everything in the garden provides one with new experiences, Blue Grama Grass will surely make a positive, reliable contribution. You will not only be planting a variety of seeds when planting Blue Grama Grass, but with each of your complete sowings, you will be cultivating the history of the prairie and enhancing the sustainability of your culture.
Find Your Perfect Prairie Grass
Are you ready to bring some of the charm of the prairie into your own garden? TN Nursery offers a wide variety of native, quality Blue Grama Grass and many other prairie plants. Visit our site today and create a garden that is as attractive as it is beneficial.
FAQs
Where does blue grama grass grow best?
What prime conditions does blue grama grass thrive in? Generally blue grama grass is very adaptable. However, it seems to thrive when conditions are full sun and well-drained soil with little moisture. Blue grama grass can grow well with any soil type, sandy, loamy, and clay as well. Blue grama grass is great for planting during zones 3 to 10.
How does blue grama spread?
What is the primary method of blue grama grass is the tillers, when new shoots emerge from the bottom of an older, parent plant. This proliferation method is used to form clustered plants to form dense, separate, clumps of plants. These distinct groups can eventually combine and form an open, soft sod. Out of the two potential forms of spreading, the slow and steady vegetation of tillers is the most preferred method due to it being non-invasive.
How much water does blue grama grass need?
One of the most attractive things about Blue Grama Grass is how little water it needs. After it is fully grown, it is very drought tolerant and only needs to rely on the rain. After the first growing season, where it is regularly watered to help the roots grow, it will only need to be watered on extremely dry periods. The ability to go dormant in very dry periods and to come back to life with new growth after it rains makes this grass great for water-wise landscaping.
How does Blue Grama Grass reproduce?
Blue Grama Grass can reproduce in two ways. It can reproduce with seeds. It can also reproduce vegetatively with tillers. When summer comes it grows its characteristic seed heads, and the wind can help spread these seeds. The most dependable way to reproduce, however, is with tillers. The plant sends out branches from its base, which are new plants and can create the clusters of plants Blue Grama is popular for. By seed, it can create new plants in a different area and with tillers, it can increase its plant mass in the same area.
What are the downsides of bluegrass?
This article is primarily about Blue Grama, but comparisons to Kentucky Bluegrass are common. One of the primary disadvantages to Kentucky Bluegrass is the amount of maintenance it requires. Kentucky Bluegrass needs lots of water to remain green, which is bad for dry areas. It also suffers from some diseases and pests, so it needs to be fertilized regularly to stay healthy. Moreover, its less drought resistant shallow roots make it ineffective at controlling soil erosion compared to grasses like Blue Grama that have deep roots.
Will blue grass spread?
Yes, Kentucky Bluegrass can spread. It does so from underground stems which are called rhizomes. Above the soil, new shoots of grass grow to complete the damaged grass for a thick healthy turf. However, it can also be a problem if it takes over areas other than the lawn. Blue Grama Grass, on the other hand, does not spread, but clumps, which is easier to manage.
