Turfgrass Species Selection Guidelines

Species Selection

There are many factors that should be considered when selecting a turfgrass species before planting a new lawn. 

• First, consider what will be the use of the turf. For example, is it being planted strictly for aesthetic purposes, or will it be played on heavily and/or frequently? 
• What is the desired level of visual quality? 
• Will the turf receive a high level of maintenance? Alternatively, will it receive only minimal amounts of water and fertilizer, and little or no pest control? 
• What is the owner’s interest in irrigated, summer green lawns versus a summer dormant lawn? Is there a readily available supply of inexpensive water? On the other hand, is the water supply limited or expensive? Is the owner willing to pay for the amount of water that might be required to maintain a specific turfgrass species at the desired quality level? Is the water salty? 
• Is the soil sandy or clayey? Does the soil have high salt levels or poor drainage? 
• Is the lawn area sunny or shady? 
• What is the elevation? 
• How quickly must a turf cover appear, and how hard is the owner willing to work in establishing the lawn? 
• Is there a history of a certain insect, mite, or disease problems on the site? 
• Is there willingness to use pesticides, or are they out of the question? 
• Will the lawn be sodded or seeded?

Unfortunately, few people consider these questions before planting a new lawn. Kentucky bluegrass is often chosen by default, with little thought given to alternative turfgrass species. The following descriptions of available turfgrass species and cultivars may assist with selections better suited to specific conditions. While many cultivars exist for most species, no single seed company or garden center offers them all. Local seed suppliers typically partner with specific national growers, which limits the range of cultivars available. Even the best garden centers usually offer a limited selection.

What Does “Low Maintenance” Mean?

“Low maintenance turf” means different things to different people. For some, it implies no maintenance at all—no watering, fertilizing, mowing, or pest control—similar to how turf along roadsides is managed. For most, however, it simply means reduced inputs: less irrigation, fertilizer, and pest management. It’s important to align expectations accordingly; minimal care will result in minimal turf quality. Selecting the right turfgrass species or cultivar is key, as some do not tolerate low-maintenance or neglected conditions and may fail to persist. [Table 1]

Table 1. Turfgrass Persistence Under Low Maintenance Conditions  

Kentucky Bluegrass (Poa pratensis)

Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) has long been a standard for lush, green lawns thanks to its dense growth, rich bluish-green color, and good wear tolerance. Today, there are hundreds of cultivars available, each with its own characteristics and maintenance requirements. 

Advantages

• Sod-forming (has underground rhizomes). 
• High recuperative potential and rate. 
• Soft, easily mowed leaves. 
• High quality (color, density). 
• Readily available in sod form. 
• Excellent heat and cold tolerance. 
• Good drought resistance (can go dormant and survive long periods without water). 

Disadvantages

• Thatch-former. 
• Disease issues (leaf spot, necrotic ring spot, Ascochyta leaf blight). 
• Poor to fair shade tolerance. 
• Insect problems (billbug, grubs, mites). 
• Poor to fair salt tolerance. 
• Higher nitrogen requirement than other grasses. 
• May require frequent irrigation to maintain quality. 
• Will invade flower and vegetable gardens adjacent to lawns (spreading growth habit).

Suggested Seeding Rate: three to five pounds per 1,000 square feet 

Turf-Type Tall Fescue (Festuca arundinacea)

Seed distributors often sell turf-type tall fescue blends that are combinations of two to five different tall fescue varieties. These blends are ideal for home lawn use and are generally less expensive than buying a single variety. The use of tall fescue named “K-31” or “Kentucky 31” is discouraged, as this type of tall fescue provides poor quality turf.  

Advantages

• Establishes quickly. 
• Drought resistant (deep-rooted). 
• Wear tolerant. 
• Few disease problems. 
• Few insect problems. 
• Turf-types possess nice texture and deep green color. 
• Excellent heat and cold tolerance. 
• Slow thatch former. 
• Does well in shade. 
• Good salt tolerance. 
• Slow to invade flower and vegetable gardens. 

Disadvantages

• Seeding can produce poor results unless done very carefully. 
• Sod availability is more limited, compared to bluegrass. 
• Leaf shredding is more common when mower blade is dull. 
• Some varieties must be mowed more often than bluegrass. 
• Heavy use by children and/or pets can produce worn areas that may require overseeding. 
• If rooting is restricted by poor soil or shallow soil, may require the same amount of irrigation as Kentucky bluegrass (or more). 

Suggested Seeding Rate: six to eight pounds per 1,000 square feet 

Buffalograss (Bouteloua dactyloides)

Advantages

• Excellent heat and drought resistance. 
• Excellent cold tolerance. 
• Few disease and insect problems. 
• Sod-former (aggressive stolons). 
• Low fertility requirement. 
• Requires only infrequent mowing. 
• Can be established from seed, sod, plugs. 
• A native species.

Disadvantages

• Warm season grass. Becomes straw-colored with the first hard fall frost and begins to green up later in spring compared to other grasses, typically in mid to late May. 
• Poor to fair shade tolerance. Needs at least a half day of full sun. 
• Fair salt tolerance. Not adapted to soils with greater than 5–8 mmhos/cm salinity. 
• Not recommended for use over 6,500 feet elevation. A protected, sunny, south- or west-facing exposure may allow buffalograss to be used successfully at 6,500 to 7,000 feet. 
• Not well adapted to very droughty, sandy soils—unless supplemental irrigation is provided. 
• Will not tolerate heavy, constant traffic. Not well adapted to small, heavily used home lawns, athletic fields (soccer, football), or other situations where foot or vehicular traffic will be concentrated and constant. 
• Prone to weed invasion if overfertilized or overwatered. 
• Aggressive stolons may invade flower beds and neighboring lawns. 
• High seed cost.

Suggested Seeding Rate: two (if drilled) or three (if broadcast) pounds per 1,000 square feet 

Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium perenne)

Advantages

• Quick establishment. 
• Wear tolerant. 
• Good color and density. 
• Does not form thatch. 
• Compatible in color and texture with bluegrass. 
• May contain endophytes. 
• Good heat tolerance. 
• Can possess good drought resistance (if deep-rooted in well-prepared soil). 
• Moderate to good salt tolerance (6-10 mmhos/cm). 

Disadvantages

• Poor recuperative potential. 
• Leaf shredding is common if mower blade is dull. 
• Disease prone (rust, leafspot). 
• Poor shade tolerance. 
• Unavailable as pure sod. 
• Poor freezing tolerance if flooded or exposed to wind. 

Suggested Seeding Rate: six to eight pounds per 1,000 square feet 

Fine Fescues (Festuca spp.)

Advantages

• Quick germination (but matures slowly). 
• Fine leaf texture. 
• High leaf density. 
• Prefers low nitrogen fertility. 
• Tolerates poor (rocky, sandy, clay) soil conditions. 
• Drought resistant (but will go dormant). 
• Moderate salt tolerance (6-10 mmhos/cm). 
• Very good shade tolerance. 
• Very cold tolerant. 
• Excellent high elevation/mountain grass. 
• May be a good choice for low maintenance lawns.  

Disadvantages

• Moderate wear tolerance (not for high traffic areas). 
• Slow to recuperate from traffic injury. 
• Can become thatchy. 
• May be difficult to mow (lays down; “tough” leaves). 
• May go dormant during extended (1-2 weeks) heat (90s +). 
• Disease issues (red thread, leaf spot, and dollar spot).

Suggested Seeding Rate: five pounds per 1,000 square feet 

Blue Grama (Bouteloua gracilis)

Advantages

• Excellent cold, heat, drought tolerance. 
• Low fertility requirement. 
• Requires infrequent mowing. 
• Few insect and disease problems. 
• Rapid germination and establishment. 
• Native species.

Disadvantages

• Warm season grass that becomes straw-colored with first frost in fall, greening up later than many other grass species, typically in May. 
• Not traffic tolerant. 
• Not shade tolerant. 
• Not a sod-forming grass. 
• Not adapted to high elevations (>6,500 feet). 
• High seed cost. 
• Difficult to seed (high % inert component; “fluffy”). 

Suggested Seeding Rate: one to three pounds per 1,000 square feet 

Crested Wheatgrass (Agropyron spp.)

Advantages

• Excellent cold, heat, drought tolerance. 
• Low fertility requirement. 
• Rapid recovery from dormancy (drought).

Disadvantages

• Becomes dormant quickly under drought conditions. 
• Does not form a tight sod (bunch grass). 
• Light green or blue-green color.

Suggested Seeding Rate: five pounds per 1,000 square feet 

Zoysiagrass (Zoysia spp.)

Zoysiagrass use is not recommended for Colorado, especially when it is introduced to the lawn via the use of plugs. Solid sodding can be successful, but no zoysiagrass sod is available in Colorado. Some winter dieback can be expected with this species. Since it is a warm-season grass, it becomes straw-colored with the first fall frost and remains so until the following spring (May). It can be quite invasive (forms stolons and rhizomes) and nearly impossible to eradicate once established. This species requires close mowing (one to one and half inches) and can become quite thatchy. The cultivar ‘Meyer’ is the only commercially available cultivar with adequate cold tolerance. 

Suggested Seeding Rate: usually not seeded, but some seeded types now available 

Bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.)

Naturalized biotypes of bermudagrass can be found throughout Colorado, even in the state’s northernmost regions. Some people have used these bermudagrasses for home lawn purposes, often with great success. They will perform similar to buffalograss since Bermuda is also a warm-season grass. It can be quite invasive and aggressive because of prolific stolon and rhizome production. When found in most lawn situations, it is considered a weed. It is quite difficult to eradicate once it becomes established in a lawn. The varieties Yukon and Riviera have demonstrated excellent cold hardiness and persistence in Fort Collins research plots since 2005. 

Alkaligrass (Puccinellia distans)

This is a specialty grass, useful for high saline soil conditions. One commercially available cultivar, ‘Fults’, was developed at Colorado State University. Other commercially available cultivars include ‘Salty’ and ‘Fults II.’ Alkaligrass resembles fine fescue in appearance and is a bunch grass. It requires moist soil conditions. 

Suggested Seeding Rate: two to three pounds per 1,000 square feet 

Inclusion of variety or trade names does not imply any endorsement; exclusion does not imply any criticism. Inclusion neither guarantees ready availability, nor does it imply any level of performance. 

Availability of grasses named here is not guaranteed; see your local seed supplier for availability. 

This publication, reference GardenNotes #561, is developed as part of the Colorado State University Extension Master Gardener Program.