Yellow-eyed-grass

Sisyrinchium californicum

perennial herbView on Calscape

Care

Sun

full sun, part shade

Water

moderate

Soil

Fast, Medium, Slow; Tolerates sandy or clay soils. Tolerates sodic soil..

Size

1–1ft tall, 1–1ft wide

Deer

Resistant

Container

Friendly

Flowers

Prized

Native Range

Moist grasslands, wetland margins, and seepage areas throughout coastal California, below 2000 ft elevation.

Care Guide

Planting

Plant Yellow-eyed Grass in full sun if you're on the coast, or part shade if you're inland in the Bay Area. It tolerates a wide range of soils - sandy, clay, or anything in between - so don't stress about soil prep, though it does prefer moist conditions. Space plants about 1 foot apart since they form small clumps. Plant in spring or fall for best establishment.

After Planting

Water weekly during your first summer to help it establish; once mature, you can cut back to watering just once a week in summer. The plant naturally prefers moist environments, so don't let it completely dry out, especially during bloom season (May through June). Year 1 focus is on consistent moisture - after that, it becomes an easy-care perennial that may even self-sow if conditions suit it. The #1 mistake is underwatering: this plant isn't drought-tolerant, so treat it like a meadow plant that likes regular moisture, not a xeric native.

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Endangered & Threatened Species Supported

California red-legged frogRana draytonii

Listed under federal ESA and CESA; Critical habitat designated; amphibian chytrid fungus threat

Federal: Threatened, CA: Threatened, CA Special Concern

Wildlife Supported