One of my favorite springtime flowers is blue eyed grass. The leaves of this plant look like grass, and it’s called a grass, but it isn’t grass. Blue eyed grass is actually a member of the Iris family.
For the untrained eye, there are two different kinds of blue eyed grass. The first is annual blue eyed grass (Sisyrinchium micranthum). It comes in a variety of colors: white, yellow, pink, lavender, or magenta, and has a maroon stripe near the base.
The second type of blue eyed grass that amateurs will see is the plants with blue flowers. When trying to identify this flower it becomes tricky. It turns out, there are at least four common types of blue eyed grass found in the Piedmont region of North Carolina- S. mucronatum, S. nashii, S. atlanticum and S. angustifolium. As I was going through the process of identifying the blue eyed grass that I see along the trails, I learned that even the professional taxonomists, botanists, and other plant people do not agree with each other, making it even more difficult for us amateurs to know what we’re looking at.
Blue eyed grass typically blooms in April and May. This year, I have made a point to take a ruler with me to measure the width of the leaves. I try to look at the back of the leaves and the back of the flower. I also try to pay attention to the seeds that form behind the flower. These traits are necessary to distinguish between the four types of plants.
So far, I am confident that I have found two different species. The most common has been S. mucronatum, or Needle-Tip Blue Eyed Grass. The stems are 1-2mm wide and the spathe bracts (the green leaves that surround the flower) have purple on the edges.
The second species that I have seen is S. angustifolium, or Narrow-Leaved Blue Eyed Grass. According to the experts, this is the most common blue eyed grass in the region. The stems are flat and wide (about 5mm) and have wings.
If you would like to try to identify the specific type of blue eyed grass that you are seeing, you can find more information on the Flora of the Southeastern United States website.