Blue Gramma Grass
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Posted by Robert Dailey May 29, 2007 |
Blue gramma (Bouteloua gracillis) is a strong, very adaptable grass that grows throughout the Great Plains, and is also well established in desert and aridareas of North America. It makes an attractive ground cover. It will also do well as an accent plant in any desert garden.
Its natural height is between six and 12 inches, but it can grow higher.
It is drought-tolerant, can survive low temperatures well, and grows well in alkaline soil.
It is a pretty grass, with slender blades and a greenish-gray color.
In times of drought, the blades and stems will die off quickly and the plant will go dormant. When it receives water though, it grows back and regreens quickly.
I prefer not to mow mine. If you must mow it, do not go shorter than three inches.
Since blue gram is a warm-season grass, it should be sown between March 1 and mid July.
If you’re seeding with blue gramma only, then use two pounds of seed per 1,000 square feet.
Mix the seed with buffalo grass and wheat grass seed for a really attractive and naturalized setting. If you do mix it with other seeds, remember that the amount of seed should be two pounds per 1,000 feet.
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