Interesting. The uprights look like a Switch Grass, but all those flopping blades to the left, only to the left, don't look right. The blades appear to have a white mid-vein. Some Panicum amarum have this. It looks as blue as P.a. 'Dewey Blue' or P.v.'Dallas Blues.'

Donn, I don't think its switch grass, the native stuff doesn't have such wide leaves or the color. I have seen it growing wild and this is nothing like that nor is it anything like the 'Prairie Sky' I grew a few years ago.

There is a very noticeable and distinct thick white vein running up the middle of the leaves which are very light blue and about 3/4 to an inch wide. When it was a baby three years ago I had thought maybe an Indian Grass seed had gotten blown over there because I had planted some seeds but by the next year I knew it wasn't that. I even considered Pampas Grass but it looks too upright and blue. I'll wait to see if it blooms. Its probably some kind of wild native, its very coarse. If it was planted somewhere else as an isolated specimen, it would be attractive and I am seeing possibilities for it as a screening grass.

It might be Johnson Grass. The white center is typical and it was my first thought looking at the picture.

Here's a link...

Here is a link that might be useful: Johnson Grass

I looked that up. I had come up with Tripsacum dactyloides (Eastern Gama Grass). In that article you indicated, the Johnson Grass is described as very similar in appearance and is often confused with the gama grass. I'm guessing its either one or the other. I'll just have to wait until it blooms or look for those hairs they described on the Johnson Grass and see if they are there.

Thanks.

If it is Johnson Grass, be careful with it. It's highly invasive and one of Oklahoma's top allergens.

Johnson Grass is one native we don't keep. We also remove it from the utility right of way out back.

You'll definitely know when it seeds!

My first thought was Johnson Grass as well but I've never seen it so blue. We have plenty of it around here. I'll go and look in a while. And Donn's right, it's highly invasive and will overtake everything quickly if it's giving a chance.

All the Johnson grass around here is in seed right now. And its a brighter green with a more reflective blade. Perhaps send a picture to your OSU Extension Agent. They would probably know or be able to find out.

I'll wait until it forms a seed head. After looking it up, I will definitely recognize Johnson Grass. I am in the process of spraying the endless #of fast growing potentially 70Ft tall weedy trees coming up volunteer along the west property line in the unkempt yard next door so I will just snap off the head of this grass and spray the sucker if thats what it is. My only defense from slovenly neighbors is my spray gun. Chem-Trim, Sigourney Weaver style. Aliens.

Johnston grass is an import from Africa so weed it out of there if you can but make sure it isn't Purple top grass. The nodes at the base are purple on the johnston grass. Pernicious stuff.

This grass did bloom and it looks like Ravenna Grass, sort of plume-like blooms, about 5+ft tall, except its been so dry they don't look real great right now. Its very blue and pretty, the part that isn't all dried out. Also its growing on the north side of their house so its not in full sun. I remember getting seeds off some plants quite a few years ago and I think maybe this came up from some that blew next door after all those years, its the only thing I can think of as to how it got there. I don't know, but I do know the neighbor didn't plant it right in the middle of all that lirope. I haven't shot a new photo of it with the bloom but they match up with what I googled and the leaves look the same. What is your opinion? Does Ravenna grass have blue blades?

Have you considered Sorghastrum nutans?? The growth form in your picture is quite similar and you can get quite good blue foliage from plants grown from seed.
In my garden; S. nutans, Molinia spp. & Pennisetums are the MOST successful at self-sowing in patches of other plants - good competitors from seed.

A.

Its definitely not Sorghastrum nutans . I have that growing and this is a much taller, more robust plant with coarser and wider blades about two times wider than Sorghastrum. The blades have a distinct, well defined, thick, white rib running up the middle. The canes are very thick. The thing that is throwing me is the light blue leaves. The Ravenna Grass clumps up the street are not that color. I need to take a picture of the plumes and send these in to help ID it. This is a pretty, upright vertical grass and I am going to collect seeds from it. It took 3 years for this one to make plumes.

I shot these today showing the bloom. Its pretty dry looking from the drought and it didn't get extra water.

I don't think it's Ravenna Grass. The plumes on S. ravennae are more than twice as high as the blades, and sometimes 3 times taller. They are also much much longer plumes.

Here are mine...3 clumps...from last year:

The plumes are from 12-14' off the ground, and the blades are ~5-6' tall.

Its the closest match I could find. The grass is coming up on the north side about 3 feet from their house and this was such a dry hot year I was wondering if those conditions would affect the height and size of blooms? I have been waiting for three years for this grass to bloom to try to figure out what it is and am still unsure. I wish I could dig it out and plant it in a different spot to see its potential in better conditions.

When the blooms emerged, the stems were very dry and dead looking in August. I will keep searching online.