Plant Encyclopedia

Description:

Tidy mounds of ornamental grass features arching, narrow steel-blue foliage; drought tolerant and easy to grow, perfect for beds, borders and rock gardens; straw colored plumes emerge during the summer months

Ornamental Features

Blue Oat Grass' attractive grassy leaves remain steel blue in colour throughout the year on a plant with a mounded habit of growth. The tan seed heads are carried on plumes from mid summer to late fall.

Landscape Attributes

Blue Oat Grass is an herbaceous evergreen perennial grass with a mounded form. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cut back to the ground in late winter before active growth resumes. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Blue Oat Grass is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Blue Oat Grass will grow to be about 24 inches tall at maturity extending to 3 feet tall with the flowers, with a spread of 24 inches. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers to grow in average to dry locations, and dislikes excessive moisture. It is not particular as to soil type, but has a definite preference for alkaline soils, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This species is native to parts of North America. It can be propagated by division.