Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Shrub
Origin
North America, United States, Western United States, Southwestern United States, Mexico
Southwestern United States, Mexico
Types
Grasses
Common sotol, Bear Grass, Common Sotol, Desert Spoon
Number of Varieties
1-
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dry areas
Desert, Lower slopes
USDA Hardiness Zone
3-912-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9 - 5
12-10
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21
10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Rosette/Stemless
Plant Size
Minimum Height
45.70 cm270.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.40 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White hair and some brown spots on margins and at tips
Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Tan
Green, Blue Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Rosette
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Pollution, Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Divison, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Needs very little water
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Beetles, Grasshoppers
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
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
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Erosion control
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Cuts
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Used to feed livestock
Paper pulp, Pulp can be used to make rope place mats and other goods
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Lawns and Turf, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Container, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Rock Garden, Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
BOUTELOUA gracilis
DASYLIRION texanum
Common Name
Blue Grama Grass, Mosquito Grass
Common sotol, Bear Grass, Common Sotol, Desert Spoon
In Hindi
Bouteloua gracilis
sotol
In German
Bouteloua Gracilis
Dasylirion texanum
In French
Bouteloua aristidoides
sotol
In Spanish
Chondrosum gracile
sotol
In Greek
Bouteloua gracilis
sotol
In Portuguese
Bouteloua Gracilis
sotol
In Polish
Bouteloua Gracilis
sotol
In Latin
Bouteloua Gracilis
sotol
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Liliales
Family
Poaceae
Liliaceae
Genus
Bouteloua
Dasylirion
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Monocots
Tribe
Cynodonteae
-
Subfamily
Chloridoideae
Nolinoideae
Number of Species
100300
1
27800
👆🏻