Kentucky Bluegrass
Poa pratensis · Cool-season, Perennial, C3 grass
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Pooideae, tribe Poeae
Grass Category
Lawn/Turf Grass
Variety / Cultivar
Common/Unknown cultivar (displays typical dense, medium-fine texture of mixed lawn blends)
Hardiness Zones
USDA Zones 2-7; excellent cold tolerance; poor heat tolerance in the deep South; goes dormant in winter freeze.
About This Grass
A dense, low-growing turfgrass that forms a uniform carpet. It has a distinctive dark green to blue-green color. When unmowed, it reaches 12-24 inches with open, airy panicle seed heads. As seen in the image, it provides a lush, fine-textured backdrop to broadleaf weeds.
Blade Characteristics
Fine to medium width (2-4mm); V-shaped or flat; boat-shaped (keeled) leaf tips; dark green color; folded vernation in the bud; very short membranous ligule; no auricles; smooth collar.
Root System
Relatively shallow fibrous root system supplemented by strong horizontal rhizomes. Fast establishment from sod, moderate from seed; moderate thatch-forming tendency.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Europe, Northern Asia, and North Africa; naturalized extensively across North America
Growth Habit
Rhizomatous (spreading underground via rhizomes to form a thick, knit sod)
Sunlight & Water Needs
Full sun preferred (6+ hours); moderate to high water needs; enters summer dormancy during extreme drought; prefers well-drained soil with pH 6.0-7.0.
Mowing & Maintenance
Ideal height 2.0-3.5 inches; weekly mowing; 2-4 lbs N per 1000 sq ft per year; high maintenance level; requires periodic core aeration.
Special Characteristics
Excellent wear recovery due to rhizomes; good ability to crowd out weeds when dense; susceptible to summer patch, dollar spot, and necrotic ring spot.
Ecological Information
Introduced/Naturalized in US; provides habitat for small insects; excellent soil stabilization; frequently used in mixes with Perennial Ryegrass and Fine Fescue.