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Arizona
Range Grasses Back to the Table of Contents
Description Growth habit: A low-growing perennial bunchgrass
that frequently grows thick enough to form an open sod. Usually 6 to
12 inches tall, but the seedstalks occasionally reach a height of 4
feet or more.
Occurrence Native in all the counties of the state, but occurs only
sparsely in the southwestern portion. It occurs on open rocky slopes,
plains, forest openings, and mountain meadows, mostly between 4,000
and 8,000 feet.
Forage Value Blue grama is probably the best known Arizona range grass
and is one of our most valuable forage plants. The fine, palatable leaves
are low in fiber and high in protein when green. Blue grama cures well
and may retain up to 50 percent of its nutritive value when dormant.
It is thus an excellent winter, as well as summer, forage plant. Under favorable conditions, blue grama produces abundant
forage. Many Arizona ranges, however, even where this grass is abundant,
do not provide these conditions. On some the soil is compacted, on others,
as in the higher mountains, temperatures are low, and blue grama produces
very little herbage. Under these conditions, it is an inferior forage
plant, not because of reduced palatability or nutritiousness, but because
it produces less forage than other grasses would under the same conditions.
Blue grama is exceptionally resistant to long-continued,
heavy grazing, although under such conditions, production may suffer.
Although more palatable than many grasses that grow with it, blue grama
may remain as the sole occupant of an area because of its ability to
withstand heavy grazing. In spite of its ability to persist under heavy use, blue grama benefits from the same management that benefits other dryland grasses. Occasional grazing deferment during the growing season, moderate grazing, and proper distribution of grazing animals are good management practices for blue grama or for any other grass.
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Cooperative
Extension,College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, The University of
Arizona