Native Plants

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Cressler, Alan

Sisyrinchium albidum

Sisyrinchium albidum Raf.

White Blue-eyed Grass

Iridaceae (Iris Family)

Synonym(s): Sisyrinchium asheianum, Sisyrinchium hastile, Sisyrinchium scabrellum

USDA Symbol: SIAL3

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)

A stiff, grass-like, clump-forming plant, 8-15 in. tall. White to blue, six-petaled, star-like flowers with yellow centers occur in loose clusters at the top of each flowering stem.

A member of the iris family (family Iridaceae) which consists of herbs growing from rhizomes, bulbs, or corms, with narrow basal leaves and showy clusters at the tips of long stalks. There are about 60 genera and 1,500 species, distributed in temperate and tropical regions. Among them, Iris, Freesia, Gladiolus, Bugle Lily, and Montbretia are popular ornamentals. Saffron dye is obtained from Crocus, and "essence of violets," used in perfumes, is extracted from the rhizomes of Iris.

From the Image Gallery

7 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 15 inches tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Yellow , Blue
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , CT , FL , GA , IL , IN , KY , LA , ME , MI , MO , MS , NC , OH , PA , SC , TN , TX , VA , WI
Canada: NS
Native Distribution: Gulf Coast states, n. to NY, s. Ont., OH, s. MI & WI
Native Habitat: Prairies; sand hills; open woods

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FAC				FAC	FACU		FACU	FACU

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

Bibliography

Bibref 946 - Gardening with Prairie Plants: How to Create Beautiful Native Landscapes (2002) Wasowski, Sally
Bibref 1294 - The Midwestern Native Garden: Native Alternatives to Nonnative Flowers and Plants An Illustrated Guide (2011) Adelman, Charlotte and Schwartz, Bernard L.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Sisyrinchium albidum in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Sisyrinchium albidum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Sisyrinchium albidum

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-02-27
Research By: TWC Staff

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