The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Despite its name and appearance,blue-eyed grassis not a true grass.
This eastern U.S. native perennial is often found in large colonies in moist meadow areas and along river banks.
It prefers anacidic or neutral soil pHof 5.0 to 7.0.
Very rich soil is not ideal for these plants and causes a lanky habit.
Water
Blue-eyed grass performs best in moist soils.
It is best to water in the early morning hours.
It tolerates average or low humidity.
Fertilizer
An occasional utility ofcompostwill be sufficient to improve soil, but even that is often unnecessary.
Chemical fertilizers should not be used, as the plant prefers poor soil conditions.
Use clean, sharppruning shears.
you might also perpetuate the colony by lifting and dividing the roots every couple of years.
Self-seeded volunteer plants can also betransplantedin this way.
You’ll need to plant several specimens, so they cancross-pollinateand produce seeds.
If you collect seeds from plants, remember that they need cold, moiststratificationto germinate.
Plants started from seeds may not flower until their second season, so be patient.
Leave the seed heads in place to attract birds.
However, with regular watering, blue-eyed grass may bloom further into the summer.
What Do Blue-Eyed Grass Flowers Look and Smell Like?
Blue-eyed grass is not an extremely showy plant, so it is favored mainly by native plant enthusiasts.
If your plants fail to bloom, try withholding fertilizer.
Leggy Plants
Planting in rich soil or over-fertilizing can result in lanky plants.
It’s not necessary to feed this plant.
It is also sometimes used in rock gardens and it looks lovely planted in front ofboxwood.
Blue-eyed grass blooms from spring until early summer.
The plant goes dormant for the rest of the summer.
Blue-eyed grass appreciates moist soil, but it will tolerate dry conditions in the summer when it goes dormant.
