Plant Database
Blue Oat Grass
Helictotrichon sempervirens
Helictotrichon sempervirens, commonly known as Blue Oat Grass, is a classic, evergreen ornamental grass prized for its striking, metallic blue-gray foliage and tidy, fountain-like form. This cool-season, clump-forming perennial grows in a dense, perfectly rounded mound of narrow, spiky, upright to slightly arching leaves that maintain their intense silver-blue color throughout the growing season. In late spring to early summer, it produces tall, slender, elegant oat-like flower spikes rising above the foliage, opening greenish-blue and maturing to soft golden-buff, adding airy height and movement. Exceptionally drought-tolerant once established, cold hardy, and adaptable to a range of well-drained soils, it is an outstanding choice for borders, rock gardens, mass plantings, containers, and as a striking accent in water-wise and Mediterranean landscapes.