Accession Count: 0
Common Name:
Blond Ambition blue grama grass
Family Name:
Poaceae
Botanical Name:
Bouteloua gracilis
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Cultivar 'Blond Ambition'
Characteristics:
‘Blonde Ambition’ blue grama grass is a densely tufted ornamental grass reaching three feet tall (1, 2). The foliage of ‘Blonde Ambition’ extends as tall thin leaves with blue-green coloring that turn brown in the fall. The flowering stalks rise vertically from the vegetative tuft and produce golden brown terminal flowers at the tips which extend horizontally from the stalk, and last throughout the winter season (1,2). The inflorescences of ‘Blonde Ambition’ are spikelets that each have two spikes extending out at a sharp angle from the flower stalk and are spreading and curved at maturity. Blue grama grass can have 20 to 90 spikelets per spike (3). Blue grama grass has dense and fibrous root systems that can penetrate the ground up to 12 to 18 inches (3).
Compound:
Geographic Origin:
North America
Ecozone Origin:
Nearctic
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
Blue grama grass is naturalized in areas across North America. Its range extends from Alberta through the Rocky Mountains to Mexico (3). 'Blond Ambition' is a cultivated variety produced by Civano Growers in Tucson, AZ.
Cultivation Notes:
Blue grama grass cold and drought tolerance makes it a popular choice for low-maintenance landscaping (3). Blue grama grass has an efficient water use strategy, rapidly using water when available and becoming dormant under drought-like conditions (3). ‘Blonde Ambition’ is adaptable to a variety of soil types with a soil pH preference of 6.6-7.8 (1). To maintain blue grama grass, cut back old shoots before new ones appear in the spring (1,2).
Ethnobotany:
‘Blonde Ambition’ blue grama grass primary function is as a landscape ornamental.
Height:
0 - 5 feet
Width:
0 - 5 feet
Growth Rate:
Moderate Growing
Grow Season:
Summer
Flower Season:
Summer
Color:
Green
Function:
Accent
Spread:
Allergen:
Invasive:
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Hardy
Water Use:
Low water Use
Citations:
- Blonde Ambition Blue Grama Grass (monrovia.com) Retrieved 8/5/2022
- Bouteloua gracilis 'Blonde Ambition' (Blue Grama) (gardenia.net) Retrieved 8/7/2022
- Bouteloua gracilis (fs.fed.us) Retrieved 8/5/2022
