Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Annual
Type
Grass
Vegetable
Origin
North America, United States, Western United States, Southwestern United States, Mexico
Central America, Mexico
Types
Bouteloua gracilis
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Number of Varieties
143
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Open Plains, Prairies
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
3-97-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9 - 5
12-1
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21
A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
91.44 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
91.44 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Blue Violet
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Blue Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Blue Green, Tan
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Pollution, Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Medium
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
-
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Compost, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Pollution
Cold climate
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Fine
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies, Flying insects
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
Anaphylaxis, Asthma, Hay fever, Pollen, Respiratory problems, Runny nose, Watery eyes
Throat itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Ground Cover
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, soil erosion prevension on hill slopes, Wildlife
Food for animals, Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Cuts
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Part of Plant Used
Seeds, Whole plant
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Used As Food
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
BOUTELOUA gracilis 'Blonde Ambition'
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
Blonde Ambition Blue Grama Grass, Blue Grama Grass
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
Blue Grama Grass
Mousemelon
In German
Blau Grama Grass
Maus Melone
In French
Boutelou gracieux
Mousemelon
In Spanish
Azul Grama Grass
Mousemelon
In Greek
Μπλε Grama Grass
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
Azul Grama Grama
melão rato
In Polish
Niebieski Grama Trawa
mysz melona
In Latin
Blue Grama Grass
mouse melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Lilopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Cucurbitales
Family
Poaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Bouteloua
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Melothrieae
Subfamily
-
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
5050
1
27800
👆🏻