Blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium idahense s. angustifolium) is a short perennial in the iris family.
Leaves are basal and are long and narrow, almost grass-like.
Flowers are blue to purple with a yellow eye. The petals have pointed tips.
Blooms appear in late spring.
All photos by the author. Click and image for a lightbox (larger) view.
Idaho blue-eyed iris
Idaho blue-eyed grass
blue-eyed grass
blue-eyed grass
blue-eyed grass
Capsules (egg-shaped) form after flowering, over the summer.
In this area we have spotted them in middle elevations on the edges of grasslands or in grassy glades.
Sightings have been in the Quilchena Plateau, in the Lundbom Commonage, and in the Lac du Bois Grasslands, but it is generally rarely seen in B.C.
We always watch for blue-eyed grass in areas where we have spotted it in the past and we try to hike those areas each year. It is a delicate beauty, a special experience to see and photograph it in late spring.
