Hardiness: Zones 3-9

Height x Spread: 2 to 4 ft. x indefinite

Season of bloom: Summer

Flower color: Blue-gray

Exposure: Full sun

Soil requirements: Well-drained soil

Moisture requirements: Very drought tolerant Physical description: This plant is an ornamental grass that spreads by underground stems (rhizomes). The growth habit is compact, even if it arches over when the stems become too long. It reaches 2 to 4 feet tall and spreads indefinitely. The evergreen leaves are 12 in. long and ½ in. wide, rough, and colored a deep bluish green. Flowering occurs in summer, and flowers are borne in dense spikes, which reach 5 to 7 in. long. Although the foliage is very attractive, the same cannot be said for the flowers. The fruit is non-ornamental, too.

Optimal growing conditions: Blue lyme grass is soil-tolerant, but performs best in well-drained soil under full sun. It can develop in extremes of heat and cold, and is very drought resistant. The growth is fast, but it may become slow during hot summers. Winter hardiness: Zones 3 to 9