Hardy Banana vs Blue Grama Grass - TreeTime.ca

Hardy Banana vs Blue Grama Grass

Musa basjoo

Bouteloua gracilis

CUSTOM GROW

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Hardy Banana
Blue Grama Grass

The Hardy Banana is a fast-growing evergreen perennial that dies down to the ground each year. A stunning tropical-looking accent for your yard and patio, the Japanese Fiber Banana can be overwintered outdoors in several northern U.S. states and southern Canadian regions. In northern regions, you can bring this plant inside and leave it in your garage. If you enjoy Mexican cuisine, you can use the leaves to make tamales.

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.

Hardy Banana Quick Facts

Blue Grama Grass Quick Facts

Zone: 5a
Zone: 3a
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Height: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: very fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: upright, clump-forming
Spreading: seeds - medium, tillering-medium
Suckering: high
Maintenance: medium


Flowers: large cream to yellow
Fruit: Large inedible
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB
Other Names: japanese banana, japanese fibre banana
Other Names: blue grama grass, eyelash grass, mosquito grass