# blue-eyed grasses (*Sisyrinchium*)

Blue-eyed grasses are lovely little plants with bright blue flowers. They grow close to the ground and can make any garden look cheerful and colorful!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Grasslands

![blue-eyed grasses](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Sisyrinchium_bermudianum_B.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Wouter Hagens, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sisyrinchium_bermudianum_B.jpg)

## Appearance

The blue-eyed grasses has slender, grass-like leaves and delicate, star-shaped flowers. Its petals are usually a vivid blue or purple, often with a striking yellow eye at the center, setting them apart from true grasses and making them visually unique.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Liliopsida
- **Order:** Asparagales
- **Family:** Iridaceae
- **Genus:** Sisyrinchium

## Interesting facts

- Despite their name, blue-eyed grasses are actually members of the iris family, not true grasses!
- Each tiny flower usually blooms for only one day, opening in the morning and closing by afternoon.
- Some varieties even have flowers that are white, yellow, or purple, not just blue!
- Their seeds are so small, you could hold hundreds in the palm of your hand!

## Special abilities

- **Drought Tolerant Roots:** Blue-eyed grasses can grow deep, fibrous roots that help them find water and survive in dry, poor soil.
- **Self-Seeding Power:** Blue-eyed grasses has tiny seeds that drop and easily sprout nearby, helping new plants grow without intervention.
- **Vibrant Pollinator Lure:** Blue-eyed grasses can produce brightly colored flowers that act as beacons, attracting insects for successful pollination.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 15-60 cm
- **Spread:** 15-30 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring to early summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — gathers nectar and pollen
- **Pollinates:** Common Eastern Bumblebee (*Bombus impatiens*) — efficiently transfers pollen
- **Eaten by:** [American Bird Grasshopper](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-bird-grasshopper) (*Schistocerca americana*) — grazes on leaves and stems

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Grass-Like](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grass-like): Grass-like plants are herbaceous plants that visually resemble true grasses, typically having long, narrow leaves.
- [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch plants unless you know they are safe.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify blue-eyed grasses?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is blue-eyed grasses?

15-60 cm

### How wide does blue-eyed grasses spread?

15-30 cm

### How big are the flowers on blue-eyed grasses?

1-2.5 cm

### When does blue-eyed grasses bloom?

Spring to early summer

### Is blue-eyed grasses edible?

No

### Is blue-eyed grasses toxic?

Mild

### What is blue-eyed grasses's lifecycle?

Perennial

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Blue-eyed Grasses: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-eyed-grasses)