Blue-eyed Grass

Blue-eyed Grass, Sisyrinchium

Blue-eyed grass is an herbaceous aquatic perennial native to Florida, blooming in early May. This plant tends to grow in tufted, grass-like clumps that are 0.5 to 1 foot tall and 0.5 to 1 foot wide. It has narrow, linear leaves that form a fan-like base. Star-shaped flowers bloom on flattened stalks (bent scapes) a few inches above the leaves. Flowers stand erect above the leaves and are about 0.75 inches across. The short-lived flowers are radially symmetrical with three sepals and three petals. The yellow center on the blue flower has been referred to as an eye since Roman times (Austin 2004). Plants bloom profusely in the spring to early summer, but their flowers only have a lifespan of one day. Seeds are produced in tiny, brown, globe-shaped capsules. Blue-eyed grass is not considered salt-tolerant; it prefers a sand or loam soil with a slightly acidic to neutral pH. (Kimberly A. Moore, professor, Department of Environmental Horticulture; Luci E. Fisher, biological scientist, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center; Carl J. Della Torre III, graduate assistant, Fort Lauderdale REC, Aquatic Plant Science Lab; and Lyn A. Gettys, assistant professor, Department of Agronomy, Fort Lauderdale REC, Aquatic Plant Science Lab; UF/IFAS Extension, Gainesville, FL 32611)