A native of eastern North America, this "grass" is actually in the Iris family and also goes by the name "narrowleaf blue-eyed grass." The upright, sword-shaped leaves are attractive all year, remaining green until winter, when they fade to tan. Violet-blue, yellow-centered flowers sparkle from late spring to early summer, attracting many small bees. The star-shaped flowers close in the afternoon or evening and open again in the morning. Blue-eyed-grass flourishes in full sun and average to moist, well-drained soils. As a prairie plant, it's accustomed to seasonal flooding and will produce the most flowers when it's kept moist during the blooming season; however, it tolerates dry conditions once blooming has ended. Heavy mulch around the plant causes crown or root rot, so leave about three inches of unmulched soil around the base. Rich, fertilized soils promote lanky vegetative growth and few blooms. The short-lived plant thrives for only a few years, but once colonized, the spreading roots and self-seeding habit will produce new plants to keep the patch going. Dividing individual plants every two or three years will also perpetuate the colony and improve vigor. As new growth emerges in the spring, dig up an entire clump of blue-eyed grass. Shake to remove the soil and gently tug the root clump into sections. Each section should have at least three or four growth shoots. Replant the sections and water well until the transplants are well established.
Native habitats include meadows; damp fields; stream banks; and low, open woods. Use in cottage, rock, and woodland gardens; meadows; and naturalized areas. Works well in fronts of borders or as edging along paths. Combine with butterfly weed and blazing star.
Plant Characteristics:
Grows 18-24" tall and 6-12" wide.
Prefers full sun to light shade. Grows in part shade with reduced flowering.
Prefers well-drained, average soils with spring to early-summer moisture and drier conditions after blooming period has ended. Prefers poor soils and grows lanky in richer soils.
Blooms May-June with 1/2", 6-petalled, violet-blue flowers that are several inches above the foliage. Brown fruit capsules appear June-July.
Linear leaves are over 6" long and grow in a clump.
Wildlife Value: Blue azures and other spring butterflies visit the plant for nectar and pollen. Other visitors include bumble bees, sweat bees, bee flies, and syrphid flies. Songbirds eat the seeds. Deer avoid eating the foliage.
Medicinal, Edible, and Other Uses:
Native Americans used a root tea for diarrhea (in children) and a plant tea for de-worming and stomachaches. Several blue-eyed grass species were used as laxatives.
Native Americans cooked and ate the greens.
Resources:
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=sian3
North Carolina Extension: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/sisyrinchium-angustifolium/
The Spruce: https://www.thespruce.com/blue-eyed-grass-plant-profile-5070471#:~:text=Grow%20in%20a%20sunny%20spot,from%20self%2Dseeding%20and%20spreading.
University of Wisconsin-Madison: https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/blue-eyed-grass-sisyrinchium/
