This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2006, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Tired of mowing, watering and fertilizing a lawn you hardly ever use? Blue grama may by the grass for you.
This warm season species thrives in Utah's alkaline soil and summer heat, and needs only about half as much water as Kentucky bluegrass. Technically a bunch grass, blue grama can grow in dense stands and mown like lawn. It grows during summer only, staying light tan and dormant from fall frost until late spring. For homeowners who want a lawn island bordered with drought-tolerant perennials and shrubs, blue grama is a good choice.
Characteristics: Blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) is native to North American shortgrass prairies. It reaches mature height of about 18 inches. Also called "eyelash grass," blue grama seedheads are about 1 inch long and arched, with seeds hanging off one side. Another common name, "mosquito grass," describes the seed itself, for its resemblance to mosquito larvae.
"I like the color of blue grama because it's not gray-green or blue," says Clifton Smith, horticulturist at Jordan Valley Water Conservancy Demonstration Garden in West Jordan. "It's more green than buffalograss."
Buffalograss is native species that is extremely drought-tolerant and water-efficient. While blue grama grows in clumps, buffalograss spreads by stolons, more naturally forming turf. Buffalograss can be started from seed, plugs or sod, but blue grama lawns must be seed-sown.
"One of our garden visitors asked me why their blue grama plugs weren't spreading out like a lawn. But blue grama doesn't grow that way," Smith explains. Consequently, blue grama is sometimes used as a shorter ornamental grass amidst taller species. The arching seedheads persist and catch winter sunlight.
Water savings: Last year, the blue grama lawn at Jordan Valley Water Conservancy Demonstration Garden used only half the water used by Kentucky bluegrass. Considering the bluegrass at the garden receives only about 23 inches of water per year (which is about half as much as the average homeowner applies to the lawn per year), the water savings of a blue grama lawn could be significant. In a theoretical 1-acre lawn, an average Utah homeowner applies 3.8-acre feet water per year. An established, properly-watered blue grama lawn would need only 0.8-acre feet of water, a savings of 3-acre feet of water or almost one million gallons.
Considerations: Blue grama lawns are not for everyone or every situation. While dormant, blue grama can't tolerate much traffic because it isn't growing new leaves to replace those worn away. Because it starts growing later in the year, blue grama lawns are more susceptible to weed invasions early in the season. In soil with a lot of weed seed, blue grama will have a hard time competing. And starting lawn from seed is challenging. A seeded area must be very level. And seeds must be sown evenly, and kept consistently moist throughout germination.
Still, for people who use their lawn to set off other landscaping, blue grama offers easy care and great water savings.
"Most people who come out to the garden are more interested in buffalograss at first," Smith says. "But I think blue grama is just as good. After looking at the demo lawns, people like them both."
See blue grama growing at the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy's Demonstration Garden, 8215 S. 1300 West in West Jordan, or visit http://www.slowtheflow.org.
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Maggie Wolf is an assistant professor for Utah State University Extension in Salt Lake County. E-mail her at maggiew@ext.usu.edu.