About
Helictotrichon sempervirens, blue oat grass, is a dense, tufted, evergreen grass to 1.4 m with rigid, blue-grey leaves to 23 cm long. Straw-coloured spikelets are borne in large, open panicles on erect stems in summer. One of the finest of all blue-foliage ornamental grasses for a sunny, well-drained border.
About the genus
Helictotrichon are deciduous or evergreen, tufted perennial grasses producing linear leaves and erect, arching stems bearing open or contracted panicles of spikelets in summer. Grown as ornamental grasses in sunny, well-drained borders.
Growing conditions
SunlightFull sun
Soil typeChalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAlkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained, Well-drained
AspectSouth-facing, North-facing, West-facing, East-facing
ExposureExposed, Sheltered
UK hardinessH5
Plant details
Plant typeGrass Like
HabitTufted
FoliageEvergreen
Height1-1.5 metres
Spread0.5-1 metres
Time to full height2-5 years
Suggested usesCoastal, Architectural
Native toSW Europe
Care notes
CultivationGrow in poor to moderately fertile, neutral to alkaline, well-drained soil
PruningRemove dead foliage and old flowered stems in spring
PropagationPropagate by division in mid-spring
Pest resistanceGenerally pest-free
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to a rust