Family: Poaceae

Origin, Description & Uses
Koeleria glauca, commonly known as large blue hairgrass or glaucous hairgrass, is a cool-season perennial grass native to parts of Europe and Asia. It is valued for its fine-textured, blue-green foliage that forms tidy clumps and adds subtle color contrast to landscapes. Typically growing low and compact, it produces delicate, airy flower spikes in late spring to early summer. This ornamental grass is often used in rock gardens, borders, and naturalistic plantings, where its drought tolerance and adaptability to poor, sandy soils make it a practical and attractive choice.

Risks & Threats
This species is considered low risk and is not known to pose significant invasive threats. Koeleria glauca generally remains well-behaved in cultivation, spreading slowly and primarily by seed without aggressively displacing other plants. It thrives in dry, well-drained environments but does not typically form dense monocultures or alter ecosystem processes. As with any introduced species, responsible planting and monitoring are encouraged, but overall, this grass is regarded as a safe option for landscaping with minimal environmental concern.

High Risk Traits:

• Produces viable seed
  
• Deliberately spread by people (ornamental)
  
• Can contaminate produce (sheep wool)
  
• Seeds dispersed externally by animals (sheep)
  
• Reaches maturity in 1 year
  
• Avoided by livestock, deer-resistant

Low Risk Traits:

• Not climbing or smothering
  
• No reproductive failure in native habitat
  
• No vegetative fragmentation
  
• Not water- or bird-dispersed
  
• No serious pests/diseases
  
• Short-lived perennial (2–3 years)
  
• No evidence of naturalization or weediness