Eastern Blue-eyed Grass is a perennial bulb in the iris family native to Canada and the southeastern United States. It is typically found in open meadows, marsh edges, along the shore, and wooded areas where sunlight and moisture are abundant. In some locations in the U.S., such as the Midwest, it has been deemed threatened or endangered. The tiny flowers form on a short stalk, with typically 2 to 4 flowers per stalk. They will open one at a time. The petals are a deep blue to violet, and occasionally white. They each are adorned with 6 tepals, consisting of 3 petals and 3 sepals that are very similar in appearance. Each rounded at their tips with a small projection at the very tip that is needle-like. At the base of each tepal, there will be a bright spot with a green to yellow throat with bright yellow stamens in the middle. The flowering stems are taller than the basal leaves. In North Carolina, it can be found growing across the state, but more so along the coast. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious issues.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
Less than 12 inches
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 6 in. - 1 ft. 6 in. | Width: 0 ft. 6 in. - 0 ft. 8 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Erect
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The narrow, basal leaves are pale green, reaching a length from 4 to 8 inches.
Flower color
Blue; Purple/Lavender; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Cyme
Flower shape
Star
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Small blue to violet flowers with yellow centers bloom from March to June with 1 to 4 blooms per stem. The star shaped petals are rounded at the tips with a needle-like projection at the very tip.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Displays from June to August on a slender stalk. It will split when dry to expose 2 or more smooth black seeds.
Stem detail
Flat stems terminate with loose clusters of flowers. The smooth stems are narrowly winged and appear branched.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Canada, southeastern U.S.A.
Distribution
AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, CT