Bouteloua

bouteloua

( boo - TELL - loo - uh )

At-A-Glance Information

This genus of perennial grasses is wonderful for creating natural meadows, and species are both drought- and heat-tolerant. These grasses require full sun and little water, forming clumps that top out around 2 feet tall. Flowering stems appear in summer, carrying flowers on one side. Leaves are grey-green and narrow. Use these grasses to form a lawn or fill a meadow landscape, use them in rock or drought-tolerant gardens, or use them to add texture to walkways, hillsides, or mixed beds and borders.

Bouteloua Species and Varietals

The genus Bouteloua is a member of the plant family Poaceae. The best growing zones for Grama grasses are USDA hardiness zones 3-10 or Sunset growing zones 1-3, 7-11, 14, and 18-21. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Bouteloua curtipendula (Sideoats Grama)
This species is native from Canada down to Argentina and reach 1-2 feet tall, forming 2-foot wide clumps. Flowering stems can be upright or drooping and have purple-tinted green flowers that dangle. Flowers and foliage turn yellow in fall and white in wintertime.

Bouteloua gracilis (Blue Grama, Mosquito Grass)
Mosquito Grass reaches between 1.5-2 foot tall and 1 foot wide. Flower infloresences mimic hovering mosquitoes (hence the common name) and red stems bleach white in summertime. Tolerant of sunny, arid conditions and can be mowed to neaten appearance. Irrigate until established.

Caring for bouteloua

Plant these grasses 12-24 inches apart for best coverage and airflow. Plant in full sun; ideally, they like to receive between 6 and 8 hours of direct sun each day for best growth rate and color. Ensure that soil is well-draining, rich in nutrients, and has a pH of between 6.0 and 7.8 (slightly acidic to neutral). If local soils are particularly poor in nutrients or do not drain well, make sure to amend the planting area with plenty of organic compost before installing. Apply a layer of mulch around the planting area to suppress weed growth, maintain consistent soil temperatures, and to increase soil moisture retention. Water new plantings regularly as they establish a strong root system in their new home. At maturity, these grasses are considered drought-tolerant, able to get by on rainwater alone for most of the year with supplemental waterings during extended periods of dry weather.

Fertilize yearly in early springtime with an application of 2 inches of compost around the base of plants. Pull mulch back before applying, work the compost gently into the soil a bit, water it in, and then replace mulch. These plants are not heavy feeders, and this should be sufficient to provide the necessary nutrients for the active growing and flowering seasons. Pruning is simple; remove any damaged, diseased, or dead foliage at any time during the growing season, and remove spent flower spikes to neaten up the appearance of plants and encourage reblooms. These plants will re-seed freely in the garden; to discourage this, make sure to remove flower spikes before they set and release seed. Volunteer seedlings are easily pulled from areas where they are unwanted, and can be transplanted elsewhere or composted. Bouteloua is a perennial grass, and can sustain itself in the landscape indefinitely through re-seeding.

Propagation

Bouteloua, or Grama Grasses, can be propagated by division or seed. To propagate your Grama Grasses, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Bouteloua by Seed

Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. The best potting medium for seed germination is a light blend of 1/3 pasteurized soil or compost, 1/3 sand, vermiculite or perlite, and 1/3 coconut coir or peat moss.
Harvest your seeds. They are held at the tips of long stems that raise above the rest of the foliage, and are typically mature in late summer to late fall. Once they have dried out and begun to split open, you can harvest the seeds inside. Cut them off of the plant, placing them in a paper bag. Harvest as many as you can, and place the paper bag in a dry, cool, dark area. They will continue to split open and release the seeds contained inside. Once they have been released, take them out of the bag and put them in a container so you can work with them.
Get your container prepared. Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 2-6 weeks from sowing.
Alternatively, seeds can be direct-sown into the garden once temperatures warm in springtime.

Propagating Bouteloua by Division
This type of propagation is relatively simple; you will need a clean shovel, mulch, fresh soil, compost and pots (only necessary if you will be saving divided plants for transporting elsewhere). Division is best done in early spring. To propagate by division, follow these steps:

Using a shovel, dig up your existing plant. Start from the outside and work your way in to avoid damaging the root system. Once you have worked it up out of the ground, lay it out.
Start to tease apart the roots with your fingers. Once the roots are untangled, separate your plant into segments, ensuring that each one has at least one thick root section attached.
Prepare your pot(s) or new planting site(s) with amended, well-draining soil. You can either bring in new soil or simply amend your existing soil with compost to complete this task. Then, plant your divisions and water thoroughly.
Apply a thick layer of mulch over the new planting to protect it from cold weather as it acclimates to its new home. Then, enjoy watching it sprout in the next growing season.