• Photo of Sisyrinchium angustifolium (Sisyrinchium angustifoliums)

Plant Profile: Sisyrinchium angustifolium

Taxonomy: Sisyrinchium angustifolium

Names

Blue-eyed Grass, Grass Flower, Narrow-leaved Blue-eyed Grass

  • Photo of Sisyrinchium angustifolium (Sisyrinchium angustifoliums)

Phonetic Spelling:sis-ee-RINK-ee-um an-gus-tee-FOH-lee-um

Genus:Sisyrinchium

Species:angustifolium

Family:Iridaceae

These blue flowers, which can appear violet, grow on branching stems adorned with grass-like leaves. Despite their appearance, this plant is not a type of grass; it belongs to the iris family. Preferring moist to moderately wet soil, it typically thrives in environments such as damp meadows, marshes, low woodlands, and along stream banks and slopes.

**Habitat:** Woodlands, forests, meadows, and sandhill swales.

Sisyrinchium angustifolium Feature Summary

Sisyrinchium angustifolium Image Gallery

Tags

#white
#showy flowers
#full sun tolerant
#blue
#perennial
#blue flowers
#cut flowers
#spring flowers
#slopes
#stream banks
#ncemgva2018
#summer flowers
#herbaceous perennial
#groundcover
#spring interest
#wildflower garden
#marshes
#food source summer
#Coastal FACW
#Piedmont Mountains FACW
#walkway planting
#bird friendly
#food source hard mast fruit
#partial shade tolerant
#audubon
#meadows
#woodlands

Similar Plants

Sisyrinchium angustifolium Feature Summary

Attributes
Food source for birds
Perennial
Fruit
Displays from May to July.
Flowers
This plant has 0.5 in. bright blue-violet flowers with a yellow eye. Blooms from March to June.
Purple/Lavender
Gold/Yellow
Blue
Spring
Summer
6 petals/rays
< 1 inch
Leaves
This pale green to whitish plant has slender, wiry stems in a tuft.
Stem
This pale green to whitish plant has slender, wiry stems in a tuft.
Whole Plant Traits
Perennial
Herbaceous Perennial
Native Plant
Wildflower
Ground Cover
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasionally Dry
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
4a
4b
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
9a
9b
Landscape
Rock Garden
Cottage Garden
Native Garden
Insect Pests
Diseases
Walkways
Woodland
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Slope/Bank
Songbirds

Sisyrinchium angustifolium Attributes

Sisyrinchium angustifolium: Country Or Region Of Origin

North America

Sisyrinchium angustifolium: Wildlife Value

Food source for birds

Sisyrinchium angustifolium: Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems)

light shade, insect pests, diseases

Sisyrinchium angustifolium: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Sisyrinchium angustifolium Fruit

Sisyrinchium angustifolium: Fruit Description

Displays from May to July.

Sisyrinchium angustifolium: Fruit Color

grass
Black

Sisyrinchium angustifolium: Display/Harvest Time

Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter

Sisyrinchium angustifolium Flowers

Sisyrinchium angustifolium: Flower Description

This plant has 0.5 in. bright blue-violet flowers with a yellow eye. Blooms from March to June.

Sisyrinchium angustifolium: Flower Color

filter_vintage
Blue
filter_vintage
Gold/Yellow
filter_vintage
Purple/Lavender

Sisyrinchium angustifolium: Flower Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Sisyrinchium angustifolium: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Sisyrinchium angustifolium: Flower Petals

2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals

Sisyrinchium angustifolium: Flower Size

1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches

Sisyrinchium angustifolium Leaves

Sisyrinchium angustifolium: Leaf Description

This pale green to whitish plant has slender, wiry stems in a tuft.

Sisyrinchium angustifolium: Leaf Color

spa
Green

Sisyrinchium angustifolium: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Sisyrinchium angustifolium Stem

Sisyrinchium angustifolium: Stem Description

This pale green to whitish plant has slender, wiry stems in a tuft.

Sisyrinchium angustifolium: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Sisyrinchium angustifolium Whole Plant Traits

Sisyrinchium angustifolium: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Sisyrinchium angustifolium: Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Sisyrinchium angustifolium Cultural Conditions

Sisyrinchium angustifolium: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Sisyrinchium angustifolium: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Sisyrinchium angustifolium: NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Sisyrinchium angustifolium: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
4a
thermostat
4b
thermostat
5a
thermostat
5b
thermostat
6a
thermostat
6b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b
thermostat
9a
thermostat
9b

Sisyrinchium angustifolium Landscape

Sisyrinchium angustifolium: Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Sisyrinchium angustifolium: Design Feature

Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree

Sisyrinchium angustifolium: Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind

Sisyrinchium angustifolium: Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland

Sisyrinchium angustifolium: Attracts

Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees