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Best Turf Varieties: Variety Recommendations for Bluegrass, Tall Fescue, Fine Fescue, Ryegrass, and Buffalograss 

Recommendations for Kentucky Bluegrasses

Cultivar names in bold have exhibited better traffic tolerance. 
America   Cheetah Midnight   P-105   
Arcadia   Diva Midnight Star   Prosperity 
Avalanche   Everest Moonbeam  Quantum Leap  
Award   Full Moon  Moonlight  Rampart  
Awesome  Julius  Moon Shadow   Rugby II   
Bedazzled  Kingfisher NuDestiny SR2284   
Bewitched  Langara   NuGlade   Touchdown   
Bordeaux   Limousine   Odyssey   Ulysses  
Brilliant Marquis  Orfeo   

Recommendations for Turf-Type Tall Fescues  

3rd millennium SRP  Einstein  Magellan  Speedway  
AST 7002  Escalade  Monet  Spyder LS  
AST9001  Faith  Mustang 4  SR 8650  
AST9002  Firecracker LS  Padre  Talladega  
AST9003  Firenza  Raptor II  Tulsa Time  
Biltmore  Gazelle II  Rembrandt  Turbo  
Bullseye  Hudson  Renovate  Van Gogh  
Cezanne  Hunter  Reunion  Wolfpack II  
Compete  Justice  Rhambler SRP   
Darlington   Lindbergh  Skyline   

Recommendations for Fine Fescues

Chewing   Creeping  Hard  Sheep’s  
Ambassador  Aberdeen   Berkshire  Quatro  
Compass  Audubon  Firefly   
Intrigue 2  Cardinal  Gotham   
J-5 (Jamestown 5)  Class One  Oxford   
LaCrosse  Epic  Predator   
Longfellow II  Fortitude (TL 53)  Reliant IV   
SR 5130  Garnet  Scaldis   
Treasure II  Pathfinder  Spartan II   
Zodiac  Shoreline  SR 3000    
 Wendy Jean    

Recommendations for Perennial Ryegrasses 

1G squared  Derby Xtreme  LS 2300  Quick Silver  
Accent II  Edge II  Mach I  Regal 5  
Allstar 3  Exacta II Glsr  Majesty II  Repell GLS 
Amazing GS  Fiesta 4  Monterey 3  Revenge GLX  
Apple GL  Fiji  Nexus XR  Ringer II  
ASP 6004  Firebolt  Overdrive  Secretatiat II GLSR  
Attribute  Forever  Palace   Silver Dollar  
Baccarat  Fusion  Palmer IV  Soprano  
Barlennium  Galatti  Palmer V  SR 4600  
Brea  Grand slam 2  Panther GLS  Stellar GL  
Brightstar SLT  Gray star   Paragon GLR  Sunshine 2  
Buena Vista  Harrier  Pentium  Top Gun II  
Cabo II  Hawkeye 2  Phenom  Transformer  
Caddieshack II  Homerun  Pizzazz  Uno  
Calypso 3  Inspire  Plateau  Wayfarer  
Cutter II  Keystone 2  Pleasure Supreme  Wind dance 2  
Dart  Kokomo II  Premier II  Zoom  
Dasher 3  La Quinta  Primary   
Defender Line drive GLS  Prototype  

Recommendations for Buffalograss

Seeded Varieties (will be a mixture of male and female plants) 

  • Bison  
  • Bowie  
  • Cody  
  • Plains  
  • Top Gun 

The varieties “Texoka” and “Sharp’s Improved” will produce a lesser quality lawn. Certain varieties of buffalograss are only available in vegetative form (sod or plugs).  

Vegetative Varieties (female only; planted as sod or plugs)  

  • Legacy  
  • Prestige  
  • Turffalo  

These varieties will form the best quality buffalograss lawn but are more expensive than using the seeded cultivars. The variety “609” may suffer winter injury/winterkill in northern Colorado. The variety “Prairie” is likely to winterkill in northern Colorado. 

This publication, reference GardenNotes #562, is developed as part of the Colorado State University Extension Master Gardener Program.