Grey-blue Koeleria is a short-lived cool-season ornamental grass that forms dense, hedgehog-like mounds of thin bluish-green blades, typically reaching 12 inches tall and spreading 12 inches wide. In late spring, glossy green flower panicles emerge and mature to silvery-white, extending 6-12 inches above the foliage. Hardy from zones 5-9, this grass thrives in full sun and dry to medium, well-drained soil, making it an excellent choice for dry landscapes and infertile, sandy sites where many plants struggle.
Full Sun
Moderate
5-9
24in H x 12in W
—
Low
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The foliage alone justifies growing this grass: dense tufts of fine, blue-tinted blades that hold their color through the season, creating a soft textural element in any planting scheme. The flower show arrives in May and June with silvery panicles that shimmer above the mound, catching light beautifully. Once established, it demands almost nothing from you, tolerating drought and poor soil while remaining unbothered by urban pollution or the allelopathic effects of black walnut trees.
Grey-blue Koeleria serves primarily as an ornamental grass, valued for its fine texture and subtle blue-grey coloring in landscape designs. The airy silvery flower panicles add movement and visual interest to dry gardens, rock gardens, and drought-tolerant borders. Its low stature and tidy mound form make it useful as edging or in container plantings where space is limited.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Cut the entire plant to the ground in late winter to encourage a fresh, vigorous mound and maintain the plant's dense, tidy appearance.
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“The genus Koeleria honors Georg Ludwig Koeler (1765-1807), a German botanist and grass expert whose taxonomic work shaped our understanding of grasses. The specific epithet glauca refers to the fine, grey-blue quality of the foliage that distinguishes this species from other hairgrasses and makes it a botanical curiosity worth cultivating.”