| Description | A clump forming grass with glaucous blue foliage. Sapphire is reported to be a better form of the species. Many people think they are the same. |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | (hel-ik-toh-TREE-kon) |
| Plant Type | All Plants, Grass Ornamental |
| Hardiness Zone | 4-8 |
| Sunlight | full, tolerates some shade |
| Moisture | average |
| Soil & Site | average, well drained |
| Flowers | one-sided panicles, mature to brown |
| Leaves | stiff, spiky, steel blue leaf blades, taper to a point |
| Roots | fiborous |
| Dimensions | 1-1.5 tall, 2 feet wide, taller with the flower inflorescence |
| Maintenance | cut back in the fall, if left for winter interest there will be a lot of dead foliage matted at the base to remove, don't pull out the plant when removing |
| Propagation | division |
| Misc Facts | The Blue Oats grass resembles a Fescue but is much hardier in Zone #5. The genus name Helictotrichon comes from the Greek words 'helictos' meaning "twisted" or "spiral" and 'trichos' meaning "hair" or "spine" in reference to the twisted awns with the specific epithet meaning evergreen (#156). |
| Author's Notes | The Blue Oats Grass is longer lasting than the Blue Fescue for me in zone #5. But is at least twice the size. |
| Notes & Reference | #40-Herbaceous Ornamental Plants (Steven Stills) , #144-Missouri Botanical Gardens web site (www.missouribotanicalgarden.org), #156-San Marcos Growers web site (www.smgrowers.com) |
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