Blue Grama

Bouteloua gracilis

Physical Characteristics

Bouteloua gracilis is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.6 m (2ft in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4. It is in flower from July to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Wind. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Distribution

Southern N. America - Wisconsin to North Dakota, south to Arizona and Mexico.

Habitats

Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Seed - raw or cooked[257]. It can be ground into a powder, mixed with water and eaten as a mush, often with corn meal[257]. It is also used to make bread[257]. Edible Uses & Rating: The grains are edible and were traditionally parched and made into porridge or meal. Flavor is notably pleasant for a wild grass—rounded, cereal-sweet, without swampy overtones. Yield per plant is modest and de-chaffing is tedious, so it’s a “quality over speed” grain [2-3]. Edibility rating: 3.5/5 for flavor, 3/5 overall (processing effort and low per-plant yield keep it from being a staple). Taste, Processing & Kitchen Notes: Freshly harvested grains are delicate; toasting takes seconds—listen for the light crackle and pull before scorching. Toasted grains smell nutty and taste barley-like. For hot cereal, boil 5–10 minutes; the cooked texture is pleasantly soft with a mild chew. Chaff removal is the challenge: parch (light dry toast), rub, then winnow repeatedly on a calm day. A coarse sieve followed by a final winnow improves cleanliness. If you don’t want to battle chaff, make a grain beverage: pound whole spikelets, simmer 20–30 minutes, then filter through fine cloth; reduce for a sweeter, thicker drink [2-3]. Seasonality (Phenology: A warm-season grass that initiates growth with rising soil temperatures in late spring. Flowering and grain fill track summer rains; in good years you may see two flushes. Primary harvest runs August–November at most elevations; at low, hot sites the first crop can mature earlier. Harvest & Processing Workflow: Hand-strip or clip straw-colored, fully dry seedheads into a breathable sack. Air-dry a few days. Parch lightly, then rub between hands or on a coarse screen to free grains. Winnow in light, steady air. For meal, toast a second time and grind; for porridge, simmer 5–10 minutes with 4–6 parts water. For a beverage, pound whole spikelets, simmer, and filter through fine cloth; reduce to taste. Cultivar/Selection Notes: Widely used selections include range-type sources such as ‘Hachita’, ‘Lovington’, and ‘Bad River’ for uniform, drought-hard turf and forage; ornamental forms like ‘Blonde Ambition’ are grown for tall, showy, long-lasting seedheads. Choose regional ecotypes for restoration fidelity and superior establishment. Look-Alikes & Confusion Risks: Six-weeks grama (Bouteloua barbata) is an annual with delicate plants and very small grains; sideoats grama (B. curtipendula) bears many dangling spikelets along one side of the stem rather than a few eyelash-like terminal combs. Buffalo grass (often placed apart as Buchloë dactyloides) forms a finer, stoloniferous sod with different flowering structures. If in doubt, look for the 1–3 terminal “eyelash” spikes and hairy ligule of blue grama. Traditional/Indigenous Use Summary: Across the Southwest and Plains, blue grama grains were gathered, parched, and ground for porridge or mixed with other meals. Harvest often followed summer rains when heads matured in waves; processing included parching, rubbing, and winnowing, with some communities brewing grain beverages when chaff separation was impractical.

Medicinal Uses

Salve Women's complaints The chewed roots have been applied to cuts[257]. A decoction of the whole plant has been used as a post-partum medicine[257].

Known Hazards

None known