Growing Blue Grama Grass: Tips at a Glance
Beautiful, tawny prairie Bouteloua gracilis (blue grama or mosquito grass) draws your eye to the horizon and is is drought tolerant, largely free of pests and impervious to deer.
- Type Ornamental grass
- Lifespan Perennial
- USDA Zones 3-10
- Light Sun
- Water Drought tolerant
- Foliage Eyelash flowers
- Design Tip Lawn substitute
- Companions Milkweed, goldenrod
- Peak Season Turns tawny in fall
Blue Grama Grass: A Field Guide
While the vast North American prairie in its original state may be lost to us, we are fortunate that a beautiful, tawny prairie grass, Bouteloua gracilis (blue grama or mosquito grass), has survived.
Bouteloua gracilis is drought tolerant, largely free of pests and diseases and is not bothered by deer. Since it is a native plant, using it in your garden is a gift to wildlife. It provides cover for nests as well as food for birds and other pollinators and small mammals. If you happen to live on a farm with a herd of cows or other grazing animals, Bouteloua gracilis is so tough that it will survive their munching.
In flower this grass is approximately 2 feet in height and pairs well in meadows and prairie gardens with other medium-size natives such as milkweed (Asclepias verticillata), horsemint (Monarda punctata), goldenrod (Solidago speciosa), and bunchgrass (Schizachrium scoparium).
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