Sisyrinchium angustifolium

Sisyrinchium angustifolium: Blue-Eyed Beauty

A charming native perennial, Sisyrinchium angustifolium delivers a graceful presence with its grassy blue-green foliage and dainty star-shaped flowers in shades of violet-blue with bright yellow centres. Though small in stature, it blooms with enthusiasm from late spring to early summer, often self-seeding modestly to form informal drifts. This plant brings a soft, naturalistic texture to the garden while supporting pollinators and requiring very little care once established.

Plant Characteristics:

• Height: 20–30 cm
• Spread: 25–30 cm
• Flower Colour: Violet-blue with yellow centres
• Flowering Period: May to June
• Foliage: Slender, iris-like blue-green leaves in clumps
• Sunlight Requirements: Full sun to part shade
• Soil Requirements: Moist, well-drained soils; tolerant of clay and loam

Uses and Benefits: Ideal for the front of borders, wildflower gardens, and informal meadow plantings. Also well-suited to naturalized edges or between stepping stones. Its compact size and grassy habit make it especially useful in mixed plantings that emphasize texture and subtle seasonal change.

Companion Plants: Try it alongside Asarum canadense, Carex pensylvanica, and Geranium maculatum for a soft woodland-edge composition with seasonal continuity and textural harmony.

Care Instructions: Plant in moist, well-drained soil in sun or light shade. Water regularly during establishment. After flowering, cut back fading stems to tidy appearance. It may self-seed modestly, forming small colonies over time.

History: Native to eastern North America, Sisyrinchium angustifolium belongs to the iris family and is commonly known as blue-eyed grass. It has a long history in native and pollinator-friendly plantings due to its gentle charm and adaptability.

Final Thoughts: Quietly lovely and easy to grow, Sisyrinchium angustifolium adds a refined wildness to early summer gardens—a subtle gem for naturalistic or native plant designs.