Washington Native Plant Society: Starflower Image Herbarium

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Sisyrinchium idahoense

Blue-eyed Grass

At a Glance: A small clump-forming iris-like plant with small blue flowers.

Height: 28 inches (40 cm).
Growth Form: Herb.
Stems: Stems flattened and with winged margins.
Leaves: Mostly basal, long and narrow, to 20 cm long by 2 mm wide; color: dull green.
Flowers: Terminal cluster of 1-5 flowers above a pair of sheathing, leaf-like bracts, petals wilt and shrivel shortly after picking; primary color: blue to bluish-purple with a yellow "eye"; size: 2 cm; shape: 6 symmetrical petals, circular.
Flowering Period: March, April, May, June.
Fruits: Black seeds contained in egg-shaped capsules to 6 mm long.


Photo © 2005, Starflower Foundation

Sun/Shade Tolerance	Hydrology	Elevation Range
full sun > 80% mostly sunny 60%-80% partial sun and shade 40%- 60% mostly shady 60%-80% full shade > 80%	wet moist dry Wetland Indicator Status: FACW (facultative wetland)	low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation

Soil Preferences
Prefers well drained soil.
sandy soils gravelly soils clay soils muddy soils peaty soils	well drained soils shallow soils deep soils acidic soils basic soils	humic soils nutrient rich soils nutrient poor soils mineral soils organic soils

Habitat Preferences
Aquatic and Wetland: Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs Shorelines and Riparian: Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas	Saltwater Areas: In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches Rocky or Gravelly Areas: Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas Sub-alpine and Alpine: Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks	Forests and Thickets: Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets Meadows and Fields: Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas Disturbed Areas: Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites

Wildlife Value

(data not available)

Ethnobotanical Uses and Other Facts

Name Info: Flowers appear like beautiful blue eyes from the side of a grass-like stem. Sisyrinchium was Theophrastus name for and iris.

Suggested References

Guard, B.J. 1995. Wetland Plants of Oregon & Washington. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 101.
Hickman, J.C., ed. 1993. The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California. University of California Press. Page 1156.
Hitchcock, C.L., A. Cronquist. 1973. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 698.
Jacobson A.L. 2001. Wild Plants of Greater Seattle. Published by author. Page 448.
Lyons, C., W. Merilees. Trees and Shrubs to Know in Washington and British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 298.
Pojar, J., A. Mackinnon. 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 114.

The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from the Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.