Blue-eyed grass is a versatile Ohio native plant
Editor’s note: Once a month, OSU Extension Master Gardener Volunteers in Franklin County profile a plant that occurs naturally in central Ohio.
This herbaceous perennial typically reaches heights between 6 and 12 inches. It can be used as a buffer between plant zones or as a border plant defining garden boundaries. No matter its use, it is a welcome addition to most landscapes.
Luckily, for Ohioans, Sisyrinchium angustifolium, or blue-eyed grass, is typically available at local plant nurseries and adds charm, character and ecological value to yards across the state.
Blue-eyed grass is not a grass at all, but another knockout from the iris family. Like other members of the iris family, it shares stunning purple-hued flowers and deep green, swordlike foliage, albeit in a more miniaturized fashion.
Although it shares some characteristics of other plants within its broader family, the plant without its flowers is barely distinguishable from other native grasses. Generally, it has a stiff, upright growth pattern and maintains a fan shape.
The flowers are the real gem of blue-eyed grass. Commonly purple or bluish, as the name suggests, the flowers are composed of six petals and star-shaped with vivid yellow centers. The single flowers are on branching stems that rise above the foliage, adding to the aesthetic of the plant.
The flowers of blue-eyed grass are commonly purple or bluish, as the name suggests, and are composed of six petals. The flowers rise above the foliage.
The flowers are ephemeral and close on cloudy days and in the evening. Blooms first appear in spring and early summer, April through July, and attract a host of pollinators. The yellow centers of the flowers are like a magnet to bumblebees, sweat bees, bee flies, and syrphid flies, which are all attracted to the pollen and nectar.
Blue-eyed grass commonly attracts various species of azure butterflies. Spent flowers produce seeds, which are sought after by species of songbirds like the northern cardinal and song sparrow.
Blue-eyed grass stretches its native range across much of the Eastern United States and can be found in Ohio in damp meadows, open woodlands, marshes, and moist fields.
Traditional uses from Native Americans included medicinal teas used to treat stomachaches. Modern uses now include erosion-control plantings, as it spreads by rhizomes and contributes to soil stability. It is also an excellent plant for damp spots or in rain gardens and, once established, can tolerate small periods of dryness.
Plant division is useful for blue-eyed grass after a few years and will help the plant keep its vitality. This plant offers early season nectar, strikingly pretty flowers and is a low-maintenance choice for any Ohio landscape.
Growing requirements
Hardiness zone: 4-9
Sun: full to partial; full sun yields more blooms
Water: moist
Soil: adaptable, sand, clay, loam
Propagation: seed sowing, division, self-seeding
Pest/disease: somewhat rabbit and deer resistant; no serious diseases
