Slender Wheatgrass vs Blue Flax - TreeTime.ca

Slender Wheatgrass vs Blue Flax

Linum lewisii

Elymus trachycaulus

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

CUSTOM GROW

Blue Flax
Slender Wheatgrass

Blue Flax is a native perennial wildflower known for its blue to violet flowers. Each flower lasts just a single day, but new blooms appear continuously, providing weeks of colour. This extended flowering period provides a reliable display from late spring into summer and attracts a variety of pollinators.

They can self-seed readily, so removing spent blooms helps manage their spread. Birds feed on the seeds, and when cooked, they are edible and are described as having a mild, nutty flavour. The plant grows in loose clumps with slender stems and fine foliage. Young plants are leafy, but as they mature, most leaves are shed.

Blue Flax grows well in a wide range of soils, including poor or sandy conditions, and is drought-tolerant once established. The deep root system helps to stabilize soil and prevent erosion. They are well-suited for pollinator gardens, restoration, naturalization, and xeriscaping projects.

Slender Wheatgrass is a native perennial bunchgrass common across North America. It establishes quickly, making it effective for site recovery.

It produces upright seed heads that provide seasonal interest and seed for wildlife, and favoured for browsing by elk and sheep. Its seeds are eaten by birds and small mammals, and it provides cover for wildlife.

Slender Wheatgrass is among the first native grasses used for reclamation in western Canada and the U.S. It does exceptionally well in saline soils.

Blue Flax Quick Facts

Slender Wheatgrass Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 1b
Height: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Height: 0.8 m (2.5 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: any
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: upright, rounded, clump-forming
Growth form: upright, clump-forming
Spreading: seeds - high
Spreading: tillering - high, seeds - medium
Maintenance: medium

Toxicity: toxic to some animals, raw seed toxic

Flowers: pale to deep blue-violet
Bloom time: late spring to mid summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, YT, NT, NU
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: lewis flax, lewis wild blue flax, prairie flax, wild blue flax
Other Names: slender wildrye, western wheatgrass