Sisyrinchium idahoense var. macounii

‘Moody Blues’

MOODY BLUE EYES

Sisyrinchium idahoense var. macounii ‘Moody Blues’
MOODY BLUE EYES

Brilliant bright blue-violet stars, above a compact tuft of foliage, make Sisyrinchium idahoense var. macounii ‘Moody Blues’ an excellent new addition to the family of Blue Eyed Grasses.
But please do not think this is a grass – Sisyrinchiums are just called Blue Eyed Grasses because of the decorative clumps of fine foliage that resemble blades of grass.

New larger flowered & robust

‘Moody Blues’ is a newly bred variety, distinguished by larger flowers, even more prolific blooming, and robust hardy growth.
But with particularly tight, compact, decorative tufts of foliage only 15cm high.
And the colour is lovely with truly rich, intense violet-blue stars, above deep-green foliage blades that sit right on top of the foliage tufts.
‘Moody Blues’ is long blooming over summer & autumn.

Tough & hardy growing

Plant in Full Sun where you will find it hardy in frost & heat.
However it can cope well with humidity, as well as being a water-wise, water saving plant. Poorer, less fertile soils, including gravel, sandy and seaside positions are all suitable for Sisyrinchium idahoense var. macounii ‘Moody Blues’.

Perfect for edging groundcover or pots

‘Moody Blues’ is a perfect plant for making an evergreen perennial edging along a path or at the front edge of a bed. or pots.
Perfect because it is brightly flowering, long blooming, neat, compact, and very low care.

15cm. High x 15cm. Wide.

SEED SOWING ADVICE: Need cold

Sow seed at any time of year in punnets indoors / or scatter in garden in autumn, winter or early spring.

INDOORS: Sow seeds in a punnet on the surface of good quality seed raising mix.
Then gently press the seeds onto the mix to ensure good contact.
Now just cover the seeds with 1cm of sieved mix/ sand/grit.

Moisten the sown punnet thoroughly by standing in a shallow water bath so moisture soaks through the mix to the top from below.
Then cling-wrap the moist, sown punnet and place in the fridge for 4-6 weeks (not the freezer).

After the period of chilling (this mimics a winter) remove the punnet, unwrap and moisten the punnet again.

Now place in a cool, well lit spot (not in direct sunlight).

Temperatures of 10-15°C approx. are ideal.

Seedlings emerge in approx. 30 days.

SEED COUNT: 25 seeds per pack approx.
(We always aim to exceed the stated seed count, and give a generous serve).

Growing: Sisyrinchium idahoense var. macounii ‘Moody Blues’

– Height with flowers: 15cm. approx.
– Width: 15cm. approx.
– Position: Planted in Sun. ‘Moody Blues’ will tolerate dry spells well, once established.
– Soil: Will tolerate a wide variety of soils, from sandy to clay, gravel to heavy, acid pH to alkaline lime. Permanently waterlogged soils are not suitable, but it cope well with sandy and seaside locations.
– Frost: Reliably frost hardy to -10C and probably below.. 
– Growth: Evergreen perennial tuft.

Other benefits

– Beneficial for wildlife: Bees and also other pollinators find the flowers very useful. As blooms are rich in both pollen and nectar.
– Care: An easy growing and low maintenance plant. The only work required is an annual trim of the spent flower spires after summer blooming. Additionally a tidy up of old foliage at the same time.
– Deer & Rabbit resistant: Sisyrinchium foliage is not their favourite food because the sword shaped leaves are quite tough and fibrous. However if the munching pests are very hungry, Sisyrinchium may not be completely immune.
– Origin: Native to North America, particularly in the state of Idaho.

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