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| Category: Grass |
| Family: Poaceae (Gramineae) (Grasses) |
| Origin: California (U.S.A.) |
| California Native (Plant List): Yes |
| Flower Color: Purple |
| Bloomtime: Summer |
| Synonyms: B. 'Angel Eyelash' |
| Height: <1 foot |
| Width: <1 foot |
| Exposure: Full Sun |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: <15° F |
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Bouteloua gracilis 'Pestaņa de Angel' (Angel Eyelash Blue Grama) This is a truly a California native selection of this long-lived warm season tufted perennial grass species. It grows only about 6 inches tall with fine-textured gray-green leaves with dainty flowers held horizontally like small purple flags on stems that rise above the foliage in early summer and hold seed heads into fall. Plant in full sun in most any soil so long as it is well-drained. Water occasionally to very little - plants fill in faster and look best when irrigated but this is a drought tolerant grass and is very cold tolerant. This species is native to much of North America from Manitoba Canada south and west across the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, and Midwest states to Mexico. It gets into California in the Transverse Ranges and desert mountains in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties but all seed sources have traditionally been collected from plants not growing in California. This selection was made by John Greenlee and Scott Ogden near Baldwin Lakes, east of Big Bear Lake in San Bernardino County in October 2014 with the thought that it would be best adapted to our Southern California climate. Some recent sources (2013), including The Plant List (the collaboration between the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and Missouri Botanic Gardens), list the current name of this plant as Chondrosum gracile, while other reputable sources, such as the Jepson Project (the Bible of all plants Californian) and the Flora of North America list the current name as Bouteloua gracilis, so we are sticking with the familiar name until such time as this name change get much wider recognition.This cultivar was originally introduced by John Greenlee with the Spanish language name 'Pestaņas de Angeles', a name we have continued to used in our nursery where we have grown this plant since 2016, but more recently it seems to be more commonly marketed with the Anglicized cultivar name 'Angel Eyelash'.
This information about Bouteloua gracilis 'Pestaņas de Angeles' displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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