California Native Plant Club - Stockton

01/24/2026

01/24/2026

01/24/2026

09/09/2024

05/01/2023

Native Blue-Eyed Grass 🌱🦋
Photo by April 2023
• Black Sands Beach Coastal Trail

Scientific name: Sisyrinchium bellum
Common name: Blue-Eyed Grass
Synonym(s): Western Blue-Eyed Grass
Plant Family: Iridaceae-Iris Family
Plant Type: Perennial

Origin Of Genus Name: Sisyrinchium is the name used by Theophrastus for Iris-like plants.

Description: An easy-to-grow perennial to consider is Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium bellum), which occurs in California in meadows, moist grass-covered areas, woodlands up to 8,000 feet in elevation; in chaparral and coastal sage scrub communities and the margins of wetland/riparian areas; and on forest floors of yellow pine forests and foothill woodlands.

Blue-eyed Grass may look like a grass, but it is actually an iris (Family: Iridaceae). Growing usually 1 foot tall, it may reach as high as 2 feet. The small purplish to bluish, and occasionally white, flowers bloom from January to July. This perennial goes dormant in the summer to prepare for the next growing season.

Blue-eyed Grass multiplies through self-sown seeds and can also be propagated by dividing its rhizomes.
This deer-resistant groundcover works well in butterfly gardens, but not in mass plantings by itself. Use this plant for borders, rock gardens, and wildflower meadows.

Common uses:
Groundcovers, Deer Resistant, Butterfly Gardens

California Native Uses: The Coast Miwok used tea made from Blue-Eyed Grass to treat stomach-aches. The Ohlone used the tea to reduce fever.

Companion Plants:
California Buckwheat, Lemonade Berry, Blue Wild Rye, California Brome Grass, Deergrass, Junegrass, Meadow Barley, Purple Needlegrass, Thingrass, Douglas’ Sagewort, California Sagebrush, Spiny Rush, and Soft Rush

Sources: calscape.org, nps.gov, cnpssd.org, theodorepayne.org
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04/24/2023

Stockton’s first Native Plant Club booth at 🪴
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04/24/2023

Our Star ⭐️ Volunteer from todays event! Thank you Mr. Javier! .plasencia
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04/23/2023

Painting pots with the Native Plant Club! 🪴
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