Blue-eyed Grass 'Lucerne'

Sisyrinchium angustifolium 'Lucerne'

'Lucerne' is a selected form of native Blue-eyed Grass bred for larger, more intensely colored flowers than the straight species. The blooms are a rich, deep blue-violet with the characteristic yellow eye, and they appear in greater abundance and over a slightly longer period in late spring and early summer. The clumps are compact and upright, typically eight to twelve inches, with the same flat, grass-like foliage. In a container or at the front of a border, the difference in flower size is immediately noticeable. Like the straight species, 'Lucerne' performs best in moist, sunny conditions but adapts to average garden soil. It self-seeds less freely than the species, which makes it a better choice for formal border edges where you want a controlled colony rather than naturalization. The flowers close in the afternoon, so morning is the time to appreciate the full display. Plant several together at the edge of a pathway or around a container planting for a reliable burst of blue in late spring.