Green Bulrush vs Blue Grama Grass - TreeTime.ca

Green Bulrush vs Blue Grama Grass

Scirpus pallidus

Bouteloua gracilis

CUSTOM GROW

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Green Bulrush
Blue Grama Grass

Green Bulrush is a common waterside plant, suitable for erosion control and land reclamation. Despite this, Green Bulrush is very drought resistant once established. Bulrushes can cool nearby areas on hot days.

Unlike many of the other waterside plants available, Green Bulrush does not attract wildlife. This makes it a good choice for surrounding residential water sources.

Green Bulrush is topped with spiky balls of florets, green in the spring and fading to brown in the fall.

Blue Grama is a native perennial bunchgrass recognized for its blue-green blades and unique seed heads. They grow along one side of the stem and are often compared to eyelashes, eyebrows, or mosquito larvae, which inspired its common names, Eyelash Grass and Mosquito Grass. As the seed heads begin to dry in the fall, they curl, further enhancing the plant’s distinctive appearance. The seeds provide food for birds, and the grass serves as a host plant for certain species of skipper butterflies.

As a warm-season grass, Blue Grama has a slow start in spring and does not actively grow until soil temperatures rise. Its deep roots help with erosion control, and the grass is drought-tolerant once established, thriving even in poor or alkaline soils. It is well-suited for soil stabilization, naturalization, restoration projects, or as an ornamental accent in gardens and landscapes.

Green Bulrush Quick Facts

Blue Grama Grass Quick Facts

Zone: 1a
Zone: 3a
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Height: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: wet
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: upright, clump-forming
Spreading: seeds - medium, tillering-medium
Suckering: medium


Foliage: long thin whitish green
Flowers: green spiked clusters
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB
Other Names: cloaked bulrush, pale bulrush, pale-green bulrush
Other Names: blue grama grass, eyelash grass, mosquito grass