Blue Grama
Bouteloua gracilis
A fast-growing native grass with charming eyelash-shaped seedheads, ideal for meadow-style plantings.
One of the hardiest native grasses, thriving in USDA zones 3-10; it goes winter-dormant with frost and greens with warmth, tolerating both hard cold and extreme low-desert heat and drought.
AMWUA Notes
A premier very low-water native turf alternative; a single late-winter cutback is essentially all the care it needs.
Care Guide
Water every 2-3 weeks in summer once established; extremely drought tolerant and needs almost no supplemental water outside the warm season.
Mow or shear the stand back to a few inches in late winter to clear old dormant blades before spring green-up; if used as a meadow lawn it can be mowed high a few times a season.
Requires no fertilizer in native soils; heavy feeding is unnecessary and unwanted.
Essentially pest-free; the pollen is a mild seasonal allergen.
Charming eyelash- or comb-shaped seedheads held horizontally appear in summer, then the warm-season grass turns tan and dormant over winter, greening again in spring.
Soil, Feeding & Propagation
Grows in lean, well-drained sandy, rocky, or clay-loam soils; very tolerant of poor and alkaline desert ground.
Needs well-drained soil.
None — thrives in lean desert soil without fertilizer.
Seed, or division of clumps in spring.
1-1.5 ft on center, closer as a native lawn alternative (2 ft mature width)
Non-invasive clumping and sod-forming roots; a well-behaved native turf substitute.
Placement Tips
- •Space 12-18 in apart, or plant densely as a low-water native lawn alternative that needs little mowing.
- •Use in meadow masses and prairie-style plantings mixed with desert wildflowers.
- •Ideal for unirrigated buffer zones where a conventional lawn would be wasteful.
- •Give full sun; cut back once in late winter before new growth emerges.
Features
Best Uses
Ecological Value
Attracts
Wildlife Value
Companion Plants
Quick Stats
Design Styles
Include in Your Project
Love Blue Grama? Our landscape team sources from wholesale nurseries and can incorporate it into your design.
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Use this care guide to maintain your Blue Grama. Questions about your landscape? Reach out anytime.
Data from 2024 AMWUA “Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert” guide.
Blue Grama — common questions
Answers for low-desert Phoenix conditions, drawn from this plant’s growing data.
How much water does Blue Grama need in Phoenix?
Blue Grama is a low-water ornamental grass once established. Water every 2-3 weeks in summer once established; extremely drought tolerant and needs almost no supplemental water outside the warm season. A premier very low-water native turf alternative; a single late-winter cutback is essentially all the care it needs.
How big does Blue Grama get?
Expect roughly 2 ft tall and 2 ft wide at maturity, with a fast growth rate. Allow about 1-1.5 ft on center, closer as a native lawn alternative (2 ft mature width) of spacing when planting. Non-invasive clumping and sod-forming roots; a well-behaved native turf substitute.
Can you plant Blue Grama near a pool?
Yes. Blue Grama is considered pool-friendly, meaning it stays clean enough around water features and hardscape. Litter is rated low.
Can Blue Grama handle Arizona heat and winter frost?
Blue Grama is hardy in USDA 9-11 and wants full sun. One of the hardiest native grasses, thriving in USDA zones 3-10; it goes winter-dormant with frost and greens with warmth, tolerating both hard cold and extreme low-desert heat and drought. Charming eyelash- or comb-shaped seedheads held horizontally appear in summer, then the warm-season grass turns tan and dormant over winter, greening again in spring.
Does Blue Grama have thorns?
No. Blue Grama is thornless, so it is safe alongside walkways, patios and play areas.
Is Blue Grama safe around pets?
Blue Grama is listed as pet-friendly in this guide. If your dog is a determined chewer, check any new plant with your vet before planting.
When does Blue Grama bloom in Arizona?
Blue Grama blooms in summer, with tan flowers. The bloom draws wind-pollinated.
How much maintenance does Blue Grama need?
Blue Grama is low-maintenance. Leaf, flower and pod litter is rated low. Mow or shear the stand back to a few inches in late winter to clear old dormant blades before spring green-up; if used as a meadow lawn it can be mowed high a few times a season.
What kind of soil does Blue Grama need?
Grows in lean, well-drained sandy, rocky, or clay-loam soils; very tolerant of poor and alkaline desert ground. It needs no supplemental feeding. Requires no fertilizer in native soils; heavy feeding is unnecessary and unwanted.
Is Blue Grama native to Arizona?
Yes. Blue Grama is native to Arizona and to the North America, so it is adapted to local rainfall, soil and heat.