Blue-eyed grass
By LYNN ARTZ, SANDY TEDDER and DAVID RODDENBERRY
Blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium) is a showy, spring-blooming groundcover in the iris family. It forms dense clumps about one-foot tall and wide with many grasslike, light-green leaves. In bloom, the plant is covered with exquisite, blue to violet, star-shaped flowers with central yellow eyes. Each tiny flower opens around noon and lives just one day. The profuse blooms attract bumble bees, sweat bees, pollinating flies, and spring butterflies. Songbirds, wild turkeys, and other wildlife eat the seeds. Blue-eyed grass occurs naturally in wet meadows, moist pinelands, low open woods, and on riverbanks. It flowers best in full sun and moist soil. Blue-eyed grass makes a terrific border plant in naturalized gardens or damp meadows. This lovely native is blooming now near the pond edge at Sopchoppy Depot Park.
