Plant Blue Lyme Grass – In a Pot or Behind a Barrier

Plant Blue Lyme Grass – In a Pot or Behind a Barrier guide illustration

Plant blue lyme grass in spring or fall. Set the crown at grade in a large pot, or only on a wide slope where you want it to run.

Planting Blue Lyme Grass care summary diagram

Plant in spring or fall, in a pot or behind a barrier

FactorRecommendedAvoid
WhenSpring or early fall, while the grass is in active growthDo not plant into peak summer heat
ContainA large pot with drainage holes, a pot sunk to the rim, or a wide bank where spread is the goalDo not set it loose in a small mixed border
CrownLevel with the soil in the pot or the holeDo not bury the crown
SpacingAbout 18 to 24 inches apart if you are massing a bankDo not pack plants as if they were a tidy clump

This is a cool-season grass, so plant blue lyme grass in spring or early fall while it is growing, not in midsummer heat. [1] The usual garden way is a large pot, because the rhizomes run [2]. On a wide, sunny bank you can let it go, but a small garden cannot hold that spread [3]. Sun, salt, watering, and the late-winter cut stay on How to Grow Blue Lyme Grass.

When do I plant blue lyme grass?

Plant in spring or early fall. Skip peak summer heat, when a new crown dries before the roots take.

How to plant blue lyme grass

Decide the container first. A pot is the barrier. If you must plant in the ground, sink a large pot with drainage holes to the rim, or only use a bank where a wide ground cover is what you want.

  1. Choose a large pot with drainage holes, at least 14 inches wide, or a wide slope where spread is welcome.
  2. Fill with a mix that drains. Garden soil that stays soggy rots the crown.
  3. Set the crown level with the mix. Do not bury it, and do not perch it high and dry.
  4. If you are massing a bank, space plants about 18 to 24 inches apart, then water them in until new blades show the roots have taken.
  5. On dry clay the run is slower [4] — that is still not permission to skip the pot in a small bed.

How do I stop it from running?

Grow it in a large pot with drainage holes, or sink that pot to the rim. On a wide bank you can let it run. Do not set it loose in a mixed border.

Divide a piece of rhizome

Blue lyme grass increases from rhizomes, not from a seed packet you need this year. Even a small piece with a growing point will take.

  1. Lift a section in mid-spring through early fall, while the plant is in growth.
  2. Cut pieces that each keep roots and at least one growing point. Discard a rotten or hollow length.
  3. Replant at the same depth, in a pot or on the bank you already chose, and water them in.

Can I divide it?

Yes. Lift a rhizome in spring or early fall, keep a growing point on each piece, and replant the same day.

What fails at planting

A mixed perennial border is the usual reason this grass becomes a problem, because one overlooked rhizome starts a new patch. A Great Lakes dune is the wrong place for a European runner — it is listed as invasive in Wisconsin, especially along Lake Michigan, and it crowds native dune plants. Do not plant it there, and do not dump extra rhizomes on a beach. Seed will grow, but division is the garden method, and seed on a dune is how a patch spreads farther than you meant.

Can I grow it from seed?

It can grow from seed, but division is the usual garden way, and seedlings are not a reason to sow it onto a dune. Plant a rhizome piece in a pot instead.

If a new plant is sitting loose in a mixed border, lift it this week and move it into a pot so the rhizomes cannot run.

FAQ

Can I plant it in a mixed perennial border?

No. Keep it out of a mixed border. Use a large pot, or only a wide sunny bank where a running ground cover is the goal.

Can I plant it in summer?

Spring or early fall is the window. A midsummer planting of a dry crown often fails before the roots take. Wait for cooler weather, or start it in a pot you can water.

Recommended plants

References

  1. [1] Heritage Perennials - https://www.perennials.com/plants/leymus-arenarius.html
  2. [2] NC State Extension Gardener - https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/leymus-arenarius/
  3. [3] Royal Horticultural Society - https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/43006/leymus-arenarius/details
  4. [4] Hugh Conlon / What Grows There - https://whatgrowsthere.com/grow/2016/10/04/blue-lyme-grass-adapts-to-almost-any-surroundings/

This note is part of Leymus Guides.

More planting notes by plant are gathered in Planting Guides.

Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors

This guide is written for real gardens, not perfect climates. Results vary with site, season, and plant choice. We draw on multiple sources and practical experience; treat the steps here as honest guidance, not a promise that every bed will behave the same.