Bouteloua gracilis
Blue Grama Grass
Bouteloua Blonde Ambition is one of the showiest flowering ground cover grasses to come along in years. Its captivating pennant-like flowers are gorgeous on the plant from spring emergence all the way to winter dormancy. Although it is winter dormant, Blonde Ambition holds its dried foliage flowers, providing winter interest until it is cut back, usually in late winter or early spring. Its golden flowers are amazing at catching the light and are particularly stunning when placed where it’s backlit by late or early light.
Drought-tolerant, well-behaved and easy to grow. These qualities make Blonde Ambition a go-to grass for a variety of landscapes and meadows.
It’s an incredibly versatile player in meadow gardens. Use singularly, or in groups and masses. Interplant it in groups, or between cool-season grasses in pockets to provide winter and early spring ‘openings’ for bulbs. It is often used along walks as an edging. Excellent in dry gardens with succulents and cactus. A great filler, it combines well with many of the best ground cover grasses including Muhlenbergia, Festuca mairei, Pennisetum spathiolatum and all of the warm season meadow and meadow lawn grasses like Buchloe, Hilaria, and other Bouteloua.
Origin: This plant was introduced by famous New Mexico plantsman David Salmon, founder of High Country Gardens. It is a protected plant in the Plant Select program.
Plantings:
Blue Grama Grass can be planted from seed or pots. Being a warm season grass, Its best planted in spring into early fall, especially when planting from seed. In mild Mediterranean climates, Blue Grama Grass can be seeded in December and January , but growth will be slow. A good seeding rate is 4# per 1000s.f.
Planted from plugs or 4" pots is recommended for most garden settings, whether as single specimens, groups, or en masse. Plant plugs or pots 6"-12"-18" apart depending on the desired look. Space further apart if lots flowering accents are to be added. Blue Grama Grass in between larger clumps of cool season meadow grasses like Festuca mairei and Pennisetum spathiolatum in combination with Mediterranean bulbs which have foliage and flowers when the Blue Grama Grass is dormant. The Blue Grama Grass then 'holds' the fort, when bulbs foliage dies to the ground in late spring.
New Plantings:
Keep newly planted plugs well watered and do not allow them to dry out until plants are well rooted usually 2-3-4 weeks depending on time of year. After rooting, mow new plantings every 4-6 weeks until plantings fill in.
Fertilization:
Fertilize new plantings every 4 weeks.
Greenlee Takeaway:
This grass deserves far more use. The golden flowering form is perhaps one of the most beautiful and versatile new grasses to come along in years. For natural lawns, we often plant the male flowering form Buchloe dactyloides 'Buffalo Bill'.
Details
BOTANICAL NAME: Bouteloua gracilis ‘Blonde Ambition’
COMMON NAMES: Blue Grama Grass, Mosquito Grass
CATEGORY/FAMILY: Grass / Poaceae
NATIVE: New Mexico
WINTER HARDINESS: USDA 4-9
HABIT: Clumping foliage
FOLIAGE COLOR & TEXTURE: Bluegreen fine textured
SEASONAL FOLIAGE APPEARANCE: Sage green, parchment-colored during winter dormancy
FLOWERING CHARACTERISTICS: Showy flowers spring into fall
FOLIAGE HEIGHT/FLOWER HEIGHT: Foliage 12-18″, flowers 18″ above leaves
SUN EXPOSURE: Full sun to light shade
SOIL ADAPTABILITY OR PREFERENCES: Tolerates a wide variety of soils: sand-clay-saline-alkaline
WATER NEEDS: Drought tolerant
DESERT ADAPTABILITY: Tolerates both high and low desert
COASTAL EXPOSURE: 1st to 3rd
NATURALIZING POTENTIAL: None reported
POLLINATOR & WILDLIFE VALUE: Good for habitat
LANDSCAPE VALUE: Quintessential shortgrass prairie component
PESTS & REPORTED PROBLEMS: None
SPACING: 12-18″ oc
MAINTENANCE TIPS: Cut to 4″-6″ in late-winter/early spring
Blue Grama Grass
Bouteloua Blonde Ambition is one of the showiest flowering ground cover grasses to come along in years. Its captivating pennant-like flowers are gorgeous on the plant from spring emergence all the way to winter dormancy. Although it is winter dormant, Blonde Ambition holds its dried foliage flowers, providing winter interest until it is cut back, usually in late winter or early spring. Its golden flowers are amazing at catching the light and are particularly stunning when placed where it’s backlit by late or early light.
Drought-tolerant, well-behaved and easy to grow. These qualities make Blonde Ambition a go-to grass for a variety of landscapes and meadows.
It’s an incredibly versatile player in meadow gardens. Use singularly, or in groups and masses. Interplant it in groups, or between cool-season grasses in pockets to provide winter and early spring ‘openings’ for bulbs. It is often used along walks as an edging. Excellent in dry gardens with succulents and cactus. A great filler, it combines well with many of the best ground cover grasses including Muhlenbergia, Festuca mairei, Pennisetum spathiolatum and all of the warm season meadow and meadow lawn grasses like Buchloe, Hilaria, and other Bouteloua.
Origin: This plant was introduced by famous New Mexico plantsman David Salmon, founder of High Country Gardens. It is a protected plant in the Plant Select program.
Plantings:
Blue Grama Grass can be planted from seed or pots. Being a warm season grass, Its best planted in spring into early fall, especially when planting from seed. In mild Mediterranean climates, Blue Grama Grass can be seeded in December and January , but growth will be slow. A good seeding rate is 4# per 1000s.f.
Planted from plugs or 4" pots is recommended for most garden settings, whether as single specimens, groups, or en masse. Plant plugs or pots 6"-12"-18" apart depending on the desired look. Space further apart if lots flowering accents are to be added. Blue Grama Grass in between larger clumps of cool season meadow grasses like Festuca mairei and Pennisetum spathiolatum in combination with Mediterranean bulbs which have foliage and flowers when the Blue Grama Grass is dormant. The Blue Grama Grass then 'holds' the fort, when bulbs foliage dies to the ground in late spring.
New Plantings:
Keep newly planted plugs well watered and do not allow them to dry out until plants are well rooted usually 2-3-4 weeks depending on time of year. After rooting, mow new plantings every 4-6 weeks until plantings fill in.
Fertilization:
Fertilize new plantings every 4 weeks.
Greenlee Takeaway:
This grass deserves far more use. The golden flowering form is perhaps one of the most beautiful and versatile new grasses to come along in years. For natural lawns, we often plant the male flowering form Buchloe dactyloides 'Buffalo Bill'.
Details
BOTANICAL NAME: Bouteloua gracilis ‘Blonde Ambition’
COMMON NAMES: Blue Grama Grass, Mosquito Grass
CATEGORY/FAMILY: Grass / Poaceae
NATIVE: New Mexico
WINTER HARDINESS: USDA 4-9
HABIT: Clumping foliage
FOLIAGE COLOR & TEXTURE: Bluegreen fine textured
SEASONAL FOLIAGE APPEARANCE: Sage green, parchment-colored during winter dormancy
FLOWERING CHARACTERISTICS: Showy flowers spring into fall
FOLIAGE HEIGHT/FLOWER HEIGHT: Foliage 12-18″, flowers 18″ above leaves
SUN EXPOSURE: Full sun to light shade
SOIL ADAPTABILITY OR PREFERENCES: Tolerates a wide variety of soils: sand-clay-saline-alkaline
WATER NEEDS: Drought tolerant
DESERT ADAPTABILITY: Tolerates both high and low desert
COASTAL EXPOSURE: 1st to 3rd
NATURALIZING POTENTIAL: None reported
POLLINATOR & WILDLIFE VALUE: Good for habitat
LANDSCAPE VALUE: Quintessential shortgrass prairie component
PESTS & REPORTED PROBLEMS: None
SPACING: 12-18″ oc
MAINTENANCE TIPS: Cut to 4″-6″ in late-winter/early spring