Blue Grama

Blue Grama is a native, perennial, warm-season grass and a major species of the western Great Plains and southwestern United States.  It can be a sod-forming or a bunch grass depending on environmental conditions:  in the drier parts of its range it is normally a bunch grass, but where moisture is consistent it will form into sod.  It is highly palatable for livestock year-round.  Its prolific root system makes it useful in erosion-control mixtures and as a low-maintenance turf.  In its natural habitat it is typically found with buffalo grass, needle-and-thread grass, western wheatgrass, and green needlegrass.  It is most common at elevations between 3,000 and 7,000 feet, but can be found growing as high as 10,000 feet.  Blue Grama is drought tolerant and can grow in a range of different soil types, including those that are slightly saline or alkaline.  It does not tolerate flooding, shade, or acidic soils.