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Blue Oats Grass
Helictotrichon sempervirens (hel-lik-toh-TRY-kon sem-per-VY-renz)
Family: Poaceae
Unknown Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Herbaceous (3-15 ft) Unknown Helictotrichon is a cool-season ornamental grass that is easily grown in dry to medium well-drained soil, with the best color of the blue foliage appearing in dry conditions.
Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗
NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 43 attributes.
Companions & Conflicts
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full plant profile
Growing Conditions
Plant type
Ground Cover; Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Dry
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in. | Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 6 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Arching; Clumping
Foliage
Semi-evergreen
Leaf color
Blue
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
This has long, narrow leaves on arching stems which taper to a fine point and roll inward.
Flower color
Blue; Brown/Copper
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Panicle; Spike
Flower detail
Blue oats grass has one-sided drooping clusters of pale blue flowers on 4 ft. arching stems.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Southwestern Alps in France, Italy
Distribution
Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Slope/Bank; Small Space
Landscape theme
Drought Tolerant Garden; Rock Garden
Design feature
Barrier; Border; Mass Planting; Specimen
Garden tags
#evergreen #low maintenance #drought tolerant #ornamental grass #deer resistant #clumping #groundcover #arching #well-drained soil #slopes #dry soils tolerant #summer flowers #full sun tolerant #black walnut toxicity tolerant #perennial #blue leaves
Problems & Resistance
Resistant to
Black Walnut; Deer; Drought; Dry Soil; Pollution
Propagation
Division
Planted at Hunnicutt
Nobody’s planted this one yet.