About
Bouteloua gracilis 'Blonde Ambition' is a clumping, deciduous grass that reaches a height of up to 70 cm. Its narrow, blue-grey foliage transforms to brown or occasionally orange-red in the fall. The slender stems produce a limited number of one-sided, comb-like flower spikes that start off greenish-yellow and mature to straw-yellow during the summer months. As the season progresses, these spikes develop into blonde seed heads that persist on the stems well into autumn and early winter. This grass makes a practical choice for lining sunny pathways or for use in pots and containers.
About the genus
Bouteloua comprises annual, rhizomatous, or stoloniferous perennial grasses characterized by narrow leaves and upright stems that produce unique flattened, horizontal flower spikes.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil type
- Chalk, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed, Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H6
Plant details
- Plant type
- Grass Like
- Habit
- Bushy
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 0.5-1 metres
- Spread
- 0.5-1 metres
- Time to full height
- 1-2 years
- Suggested uses
- City and courtyard gardens, Coastal, Cottage and informal garden, Gravel garden, Patio and container plants
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow in a sharply drained soil in full sun. Avoid winter wet. See ornamental grasses cultivation for further advice
- Pruning
- Cut back overwintered material in early spring, just before new growth begins. See ornamental grasses cultivation
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed in containers in a cold frame in spring. Alternatively divide clumps from mid-spring to early summer. Self-seeds freely but easy to remove unwanted seedlings
- Pest resistance
- Generally pest-free
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free