Pacific Plant People Recommendations: Bouteloua gracilis ‘Blonde Ambition’
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- Topics: Plants You Need
Fall 2025
Plant Recommendations by Pacific Plant People highlight climate-resilient, water-wise, and habitat-friendly plants well-suited for the Pacific region. Many recommendations prioritize native species, but some non-natives that thrive in a Mediterranean climate are also featured.
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Bouteloua gracilis ‘Blonde Ambition’, Blonde Ambition, or Blue Grama Grass
Jennifer is a California licensed Landscape Architect and educator with over 20 years professional experience. Her qualifications include being a LEED Accredited Professional, ReScape CA Qualified Professional and Rater, and Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper. She grew up in Southern California but earned her BLA in Landscape Architecture from Oklahoma State University. Jennifer is self-employed; she enjoys a wide mix of projects from landscape architectural design work to consulting and public speaking.
Bouteloua gracilis ‘Blonde Ambition’, Blonde Ambition, or Blue Grama Grass
Plant family: Poaceae, also called Gramineae
Genus: Bouteloua
Species: B. gracilis
Description
From CalScape.org: Blue Grama (Bouteloua gracilis) is a widespread, long-lived, warm-season, perennial grass native to North America. It is most commonly found from Alberta east to Manitoba and south across the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, and Midwest states to Mexico. In California, it is found primarily in arid mountains of San Bernardino County.
Roots generally extend 1 to 1.5 feet from the edge of the plant, and 3 to 6 feet deep. Maximum rooting depth is approximately 6.5 feet. In recent years, Blue Grama has become a popular garden accent grass, due to its green to greyish color and interesting seed heads, which resemble small pennants. ‘Blond Ambition” is a popular cultivar.
Water Use
Low to very low water needs, but will go drought dormant if not enough water is received.
Conditions When It Thrives
Dry prairies; plains. A dominant grass in dry shortgrass prairies. An understory grass in moister, mixed prairies.
USDA Hardiness zones 3-10, sunset zones 2, 3, 7- 9, 14- 24
Ecosystem Services
Supports a few butterflies, skippers, and their caterpillars.
Native To
North America
Geographic Range
Western North American from southern Canada to southern Mexico. Western Ontario to Alberta, south through Illinois to western Missouri, Texas, and southern California, through much of Mexico.
Availability
Widely available
Habitat & Height
6-24” tall, seems to be depending on water provided.
Special Features
Beachy blonde “eyebrows” spring up in summer against grey-green foliage. It stays low and unobtrusive.
Roots can go several feet deep which seems evident if you look at the roots in a nursery container, they’ll be making a beeline straight to the bottom of the pot as if they’re trying to tell you where they’re headed.
This cultivar originated as a sport of B. gracilis ‘Hatchita’ that was found in a residential yard in 2007 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. David Salman of High Country Gardens found it and introduced it to the trade.
Why They Love It
I love that the inflorescences seem to sparkle in the light, giving any nearby plants “jazz hands” to show them off. To my mind, it is a supporting character that can’t be beat. I’ve seen it used as a mass planting, but I have doubts about mass plantings looking good and being well kept over time because of the way clumps may die out in the center.
Seasonal Appearance/Dormancy
A warm season ornamental grass that can stay evergreen with enough water, but is listed as deciduous in some parts. Foliage is persistent, it does not fall away on its own like some deciduous foliaged plants.
Advice, Design, Care Notes
This can look dead if it doesn’t get enough water, but then may put out new foliage with some moisture. Old dead foliage does not separate from the clump easily enough, so if you just tug, you may take live foliage out with it. Also, as a low clumping grass, it can die out in the center and neighborhood cats may take advantage of this, making things worse.
The sparkle of the “eyebrows” is so worth it if you have the opportunity to use it. That distinctive texture glowing in morning and late afternoon sun just can’t be beat.
One challenge I have is that weed grasses are a problem in my yard and I spend a lot of time trying to separate them out from the foliage of intentionally planted ornamental grasses, this one is no exception. I have stopped planting it in my own garden because my level of weeding is not enough, and would be cautious about specifying it for a client with a mow-and-blow crew for this same reason.
Other Thoughts
Pay attention to the structure of this plant before you try to divide it so that you make sure you’re getting a meaningful chunk of roots attached to foliage for each division. The foliage can lean over and get separated from the roots it should have been attached to if you don’t get enough of a clump at a time. Divide in the spring as the clump is gearing up for new growth.
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