Twinflower vs Blue Grama Grass - TreeTime.ca

Twinflower vs Blue Grama Grass

Bouteloua gracilis

Linnaea borealis

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

CUSTOM GROW

Blue Grama Grass
Twinflower

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.

Twinflower is a native, trailing evergreen ground cover known for its delicate flowers that grow in nodding pairs. These pale pink blooms are described as being sweetly fragrant, attracting native bees and other pollinators.

Growing in cool, moist, acidic soils, the trailing stems form roots as they spread and start to form mats across the forest floor. Due to its woody stem, it is technically classified as a shrub and often referred to as a subshrub or dwarf shrub. This species is well-suited for naturalization, restoration, and conservation projects.

Twinflower (Linneae borealis) was named in honour of Carl Linnaeus, who adopted it as his personal emblem.

Blue Grama Grass Quick Facts

Twinflower Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 2a
Height: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Height: 0.1 m (0.4 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: any
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: slow
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: upright, clump-forming
Growth form: creeping or trailing, ground cover
Spreading: seeds - medium, tillering-medium
Spreading: stolons - medium, seeds - low


Fall colour: reddish tinge
Flowers: Pink, bell-shaped, fragrant pairs
Bloom time: summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: blue grama grass, eyelash grass, mosquito grass
Other Names: northern twinflower, pink bells