Sesleria nitida

Sesleria nitida is similar to Sesleria caerulea or bluish sesleria, from which it differs by its larger size and broader, bluer foliage. This pretty medium-sized grass is just as hardy and adapted to difficult conditions, valuable for landscaping slightly arid areas or dry and rocky gardens. Forming a dense, beautiful grey-blue tuft which comes to life in late spring with small whitish brush-like flowers, this perennial is attractive all year round. It is charming and useful for structuring a natural space or a contemporary-style garden.

Sesleria nitida is a perennial, clump-forming and non-spreading grass belonging to the poaceae family. In nature, it is found in dry meadows and undergrowth, growing among rocky scree, at altitude, on limestone soil, poor in nitrogen. Its distribution area is the alpine and subalpine levels of Italy. The plant forms a thick, dense tuft with slightly bristly linear and soft foliage, 70 cm (28in) tall when flowering and 50 cm (20in) wide, depending on the conditions and the richness of the soil. Its leaves are 5 to 7 mm (0in) wide and 15 to 45 cm (6 to 18in) long and grey-green to light blue-grey, which gives the plant a soft glaucous hue from a distance. They partially dry out before winter, but continually renew themselves. Narrow floral spikes generally appear in spring and seem to be adorned with whitish-green brushes, turning black when ripe.

Sesleria is not a spectacular grass, but it has evergreen blue foliage and the rustic charm of its curious flowering in spring. It is highly adaptable and non-invasive, thriving from north to south, in the plains and mountains, by the sea or on rocky land. It is beautiful planted with perennials like lavender, catananches, coreopsis, autumn asters, echinaceas, small sunflowers, and many others. It forms beautiful borders along formal pathways. In a natural garden, it can be planted en masse, alongside Stipa, to effectively cover the ground and let the wind create waves of blonde and blue.