Common Name: grey-blue koeleria
Type: Ornamental grass
Family: Poaceae
Native Range: Temperate Asia, Europe
Zone: 5 to 9
Height: 0.50 to 2.00 feet
Spread: 0.50 to 1.00 feet
Bloom Time: May to June
Bloom Description: Green maturing to silvery white
Sun: Full sun
Water: Dry to medium
Maintenance: Low
Flower: Showy
Tolerate: Drought, Dry Soil, Black Walnut, Urban Conditions
Culture
Easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soil in full sun. Best in infertile, sandy soils. Drought tolerant. Intolerant of heavy clay soils, wet soils and shade. Plant in a protected location in USDA Zone 5. Cut to the ground in late winter.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Koeleria glauca, commonly called large blue hairgrass, is a short-lived, cool season, ornamental grass that forms hedgehog-like, dense, circular mounds of thin, bluish green blades which typically measure 12" tall and 12" in diameter. Flower panicles emerge glossy green in late spring and mature to silvery-white on stems typically extending 6-12" above the foliage mound.
Genus name honors German botanist and grass expert Georg Ludwig Koeler (1765-1807).
Specific epithet means with a fine, whitish, powdery coating.
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems. This grass may only live for 2-3 years, particularly if planted in the moist, fertile environment of a typical border.
Uses
Edging, massing as a ground cover, border fronts or rock gardens.