Kentucky Bluegrass
Poa pratensis · Cool-season, Perennial, C3 photosynthetic pathway
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Pooideae, tribe Poeae
Grass Category
Lawn/Turf Grass, Sports Turf, Golf Course Fairways/Tees
Variety / Cultivar
Common blend of multiple cultivars such as 'Midnight', 'Baron', and 'Glade' optimized for dark green color and disease resistance
Hardiness Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 7, excellent cold tolerance, struggles in extreme summer heat unless irrigated, goes dormant in winter freezing temperatures
About This Grass
Forms a dense, high-quality turf with a fine to medium texture and rich dark to medium green color. Unmowed height reaches 18 to 24 inches with open, pyramidal panicle seed heads. Maintained turf is dense, upright, and carpets the soil effectively.
Blade Characteristics
Medium width (2-4 mm), flat to slightly folded shape with characteristic boat-shaped tips, prominent parallel veins giving a railroad-track appearance on the underside, folded vernation in the bud, medium-sized membranous ligule, and absent auricles
Root System
Moderately deep fibrous root system combined with strong, aggressive rhizomes. Forms a very tough, dense sod. Tends to build up moderate thatch under high fertilization and watering regimes. Moderate establishment speed from seed
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to Europe, northern Asia, and parts of the mountains in North America; widely cultivated throughout temperate regions worldwide, performing best in the northern United States and Canada
Growth Habit
Rhizomatous, spreading extensively via underground stems to form a dense, uniform, and tight turf mat
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun (minimum 6-8 hours daily), moderate to high water needs to maintain green color during summer, enters summer dormancy during drought but has good recovery ability, prefers well-drained fertile loam soils with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0
Mowing & Maintenance
Ideal mowing height ranges from 2.0 to 3.5 inches, frequent mowing during peak spring growth, high fertilizer requirement (3-5 lbs N per 1000 sq ft annually), regular dethatching and aeration needed, high maintenance level
Special Characteristics
Exceptional wear tolerance and self-repairing capability via rhizomes, moderate shade tolerance, susceptible to certain diseases like dollar spot and leaf spot under stress, excellent erosion control when established
Ecological Information
Introduced species in North America, provides basic ground cover and soil stabilization, highly valued for residential and recreational turf ecosystems, frequently blended with Perennial Ryegrass and Fine Fescues