BLUE GRAMA

Bouteloua gracilis

Blue grama is a dominant species of the shortgrass prairie to the east of our region, and is also a common component of desert grasslands throughout the Colorado Plateau. It is easily recognized by its one-sided seed heads, that are thought to resemble false eyelashes or little straight razors (navajitas). A warm season grass, blue grama is quite drought-tolerant but requires occasional summer watering. As a mown turfgrass, it requires about a quarter as much water as traditional bluegrass turf. Blue grama turf is soft to the touch and is a pretty, soft green in color--it makes a very acceptable turf grass, especially in light traffic areas. It also looks beautiful unmown, especially when interplanted with spring and summer flowering perennials like blanket flower, Lewis flax, and Bridges penstemon for a meadow effect.