Page 11 - Native Seeds Catalog Flip Book

Blue Grama
(Bouteloua gracilis)
One of the most important native range grasses is Blue Grama. It is a long lived, warm season, short grass that is considered to be one of the most palatable grasses available.
Blue Grama is a sod forming, fine textured grass that grows 12 to 20 inches tall on the range. The foliage is grayish green, curing to gray or straw yellow. Blue Grama has a good tolerance to low temperatures, alkali soils and is extremely drought tolerant. Under moisture stress the foliage goes dor- mant. It greens up quickly when moisture is received.
Blue Grama can be left un-mowed for graz- ing or it can be mowed for hay. Blue Grama cures well on the ground retaining as
much as fifty percent of its nutritive value, making good fall and winter forage. It is a general practice to seed Blue Grama in a mixture of other adapted grasses.
Blue Grama is widely adapted to all soil types from sandy and gravelly to loams and clay. It is adapted throughout the central United States north to south borders as well as the Great Lakes region, Arizon and southern Califoria.
To establish Blue Grama as a pasture or range grass, plant 1 1⁄2 to 2 1⁄2 pure live seed pounds per acre using a chaffy grass drill because of the hairy nature of the seed.
For a lawn, broadcast one pound per 1,000 square feet and mulch with straw. In land- scape, it may be mixed with Buffalograss for an attractive appearance.