Blue Grama Grass vs Tufted Hairgrass - TreeTime.ca

Blue Grama Grass vs Tufted Hairgrass

Deschampsia cespitosa

Bouteloua gracilis

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Tufted Hairgrass
Blue Grama Grass

Tufted Hairgrass is a native perennial bunchgrass that forms dense clumps of dark green foliage. It produces tall, wispy seed heads in late spring and early summer, adding height and texture to the landscape. Its tidy, clump-forming habit and ornamental appeal make it well suited to smaller gardens and yards.

Tufted Hairgrass is a cool-season grass that grows most actively during the cooler parts of the growing season: spring and fall. Its adaptability allows it to establish across a range of sites, while its dense, fibrous root system helps stabilize soil. It is well suited to rangeland and prairie restoration, naturalization, erosion control, and revegetation projects.

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.

Tufted Hairgrass Quick Facts

Blue Grama Grass Quick Facts

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


Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB
Other Names: hassock grass, tufted hair grass, tussock grass
Other Names: blue grama grass, eyelash grass, mosquito grass