A Front Range plant profile for homeowners: how blue grama grows, what care it needs, and where it fits in a water-wise Boulder County landscape, from Plant Select and CSU Extension sources.
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Picture a Niwot yard in January. The perennials are cut down and the beds look bare, except for one clump of pale, upright grass holding its shape above the snow. That is blue grama doing its job. This Front Range plant profile covers how to grow it, how to care for it, and where it fits in water-wise landscaping in Colorado. Green Landscape Solutions designs and builds these plantings for Boulder County homes, so we kept the advice practical and tied to sources we checked.
Blue grama is a clump-forming native grass that thrives without much irrigation. CSU Extension calls it "a clump-forming, hardy, native grass" and recommends it for "unirrigated areas and with wildflowers." It is hardy to zone 3 and is the state grass of Colorado.
CSU Extension also explains the setting. The Front Range and Eastern Plains are part of the short grass prairie in the rain shadow of the Rocky Mountains. The area is semiarid, with average annual rainfall of 10 to 15 inches. A grass that evolved there expects dry summers and cold winters.
CSU Extension lists blue grama as a warm-season grass, meaning it grows best in warm temperatures. That matters for planting time, which we cover below.
For most design work, 'Blonde Ambition' is the pick. It is a Plant Select selection, introduced in 2011, found by David Salman of Santa Fe in 2007 growing in a stand of Hachita blue grama. It is taller than the plain species, which CSU Extension lists at 1 to 1.5 feet.
The species still has a place. Plant Select describes blue grama as a low-water, fine-textured option for lawn-like areas. Choose the species for low, soft meadows. Choose 'Blonde Ambition' for height and winter structure.
Plant it in spring, in full or part sun, in nearly any soil. Plant Select lists clay, loam, and sandy soils, and CSU Extension says it tolerates all soil types. CSU Extension says grasses generally grow best with three to five hours of direct sun daily. In shade, they may skip blooming and flop over.
CSU Extension advises planting ornamental grasses in spring. Container-grown plants can go in all season, stopping about a month before the first frost. Late division is not recommended, particularly for warm-season types. A fall planting on a warm-season grass is a gamble.
Plant Select rates 'Blonde Ambition' at moderate to xeric water use. New plants need regular water while roots settle. After that, the goal is to stop babying them. CSU Extension notes that among native grasses, the taller the grass, the more water it generally needs. Taller selections like this one appreciate a little more than the plain species.
Plant Select lists zones 4 to 9, with an elevation guide of up to 7,500 feet. Its plant story says up to 8,000 feet. If your property sits in the foothills, check your elevation against those limits before you buy.
The main job is one haircut per year. Plant Select says to cut it back in early spring. CSU Extension says to cut grasses just before spring growth starts, using hedge shears and gloves because some blades are sharp. Mulch helps, according to CSU Extension.
Blue grama reseeds. Plant Select says the seedlings are not true to type, so pull them. Plant Select also marks it as not good for pollination, so pair it with flowering perennials if pollinators matter to you. It is deer resistant, per the same listing.
One more point. CSU Extension notes that dried ornamental grass foliage is combustible in winter. It is sensible to keep tall clumps away from house walls and wooden decks. Our Firewise home protection post covers the bigger picture.
Treat it as a texture and winter-structure plant. Plant Select describes the flowering heads standing at a 90-degree angle to the leaves, in chartreuse that ages to blonde. The stems are stiff, so the plant recovers after snow instead of staying flat.
Here are three ways we would use it in a Boulder County yard:
Scale matters. At 30 to 36 inches tall and wide, a clump needs room, so give it space from walkways.
In Niwot, blue grama works best as a repeating thread through a native plants Boulder County palette, anchoring beds that get full sun and little supplemental water. Green Landscape Solutions would pair it with flowering natives so the planting has bloom, seed, and winter form.
A Green design looks at sun exposure, soil, drainage, and irrigation together. Our team builds what it designs, so the planting plan matches the site. See our water-wise planting and garden design service and our xeriscaping page. The Niwot landscape design page shows how we work in town.
New to dry-climate planting? Start with our post on xeriscape ideas that thrive in Colorado.
Green Landscape Solutions has served Boulder County since 2002 and has completed more than 1,000 projects. We plan plantings in Boulder and nearby towns, including Niwot, Gunbarrel, Lafayette, Louisville, and Erie. See the full list on our service areas page.
Want grasses and natives that fit your yard? Call (720) 468-0987 or Tell Us About Your Property. We will talk through sun, soil, water, and the look you want.
Plant it in spring. CSU Extension advises planting ornamental grasses in spring, and says container-grown grasses can go in all season, stopping about a month before the first frost. Late division planting is not recommended for warm-season grasses like blue grama.
Plant Select rates Blonde Ambition at moderate to xeric water use. Give new plants regular water while roots establish, then reduce. CSU Extension notes taller native grasses generally need more water than shorter ones.
Cut it back once a year in early spring, just before new growth starts. Plant Select and CSU Extension both give this timing. Use hedge shears and gloves, since some grass blades are sharp.
It reseeds. Plant Select says seedlings of Blonde Ambition are not true to type, so remove them. The plant forms a clump rather than creeping, and old clumps can be divided or replaced every 5 to 10 years.
Plant Select lists Blonde Ambition as deer resistant but not good for pollination. Pair it with flowering perennials such as purple coneflower or hyssop if you want pollinator value in the same bed.
