High Country Gardens' ornamental grass gets attention

National Home Gardening Club Magazine recently listed High Country Gardens' ‘Blonde Ambition’ (Bouteloua gracilis PPAF) as one of 24 new varieties to plant in 2011.

Citing this native grass’ revamped sideways flower as its crowning feature, the editors claim that blue grama prairie varieties finally have “a glamorous city counterpart.”

Pat Hayward, executive director of Plant Select, points to the plant’s dual-application capacity as a badge for its future success.

“It really has the potential to be a commercial and residential mainstay,” she said. “It’s the first low-water, native ornamental we’ve ever had, and the fact that it’s native to such a huge range means we’re going to see a lot of it.”

Hayward said the entire country’s concern for water conservation is an influencer in the new grass’ eventual widespread adoption. The versatility of this long-lived perennial, which was named a 2011 Plant Select winner, could make it as sought-after as the Karl Foerster variety, one of the more popular ornamentals of all time.

Discovered and introduced by High Country Gardens’ founder and chief horticulturist, David Salman, ‘Blonde Ambition’ is native to 26 states and is expected to perform well across the country, particularly in hardiness zones 4-9.