Blue-eyed Grass is a short perennial grass-like forb, growing only up to 12 inches high.

Basal leaves emerge from the root system and resemble the leaves of the common iris plants except that these are very narrow, up to 1/16 inch wide, linear with parallel veins, not round like a true grass. The edges may have very minute serrations. Blade color often looks bluish in sunlight.

Flowering stalks develop among the leaves, reaching to leaf height or slightly higher. Stalks are winged and may branch, having one to two nodes. The stalk ends with a bract, (leaf-like development). From this bract a green spathe (a leaf-like form that envelopes the flowers) forms and from within the spathe comes an umbel of flowers. In this species there is only one spathe per flowering stem. Beneath the umbel, but within the spathe, develop two small bracts, one longer than the other.

The flowers are only 1/2 inch wide and have 3 petals and 3 sepals, which perform the same functions and are known as tepals. These are identically colored - blue to bluish-purple, each ending with a small point at the tip. These lobes are widest above the center and taper to a narrow base which has a yellow splotch. The tepals have a darker veining which acts as a nectar guide for insects. The center of the flower where the sexual parts are is yellow. The stamens are symmetrically arranged around the base and have yellow anthers. These closely surround the 3 styles but are not appressed to them.

Seed: Fertile flowers produce a globose 3-celled seed capsule that is dull brown to blackish, sometimes with purple tinges. This splits into 3 sections when mature to release small black seeds 0.5 to 1.2 mm long. Seeds require 60 days of cold stratification and cool soil for germination. Best to plant in the fall and let nature to the work.

Habitat: Blue-eyed grass grows in moist meadows, riparian edges, moist open woods - wet-mesic to dry-mesic conditions. A high organic content and full to partial sun is needed. It grows from a fibrous root system which can form clumps. Separation of the roots is a good way to increase the number of plants. Even though it is in the Iris family, it fits in well with ornamental grasses.

Names: The genus Sisyrinchium is an old Greek name for another plant that has been adopted for the group of blue-eyed grasses. The species, angustifolium, is from the Latin for 'narrow leaves' although this species actually has leaves broader than than its relatives. The author name for the plant classification - "Mill." is for Philip Miller, Scottish botanist (1691-1771) who was chief gardener at the Chelsea Physic Garden and wrote "The Gardener's Dictionary".

Comparisons: The more commonly found species of Sisyrinchium in Minnesota are: S. campestre, Field Blue-eyed grass; S. montanum, Mountain Blue-eyed Grass; and S. mucronatum, Pointed-petal Blue-eyed Grass. Flowers and spathes must be examined to determine the correct species but S. montanum usually has an unbranched stem.