Kentucky Bluegrass
Poa pratensis · Cool-season, Perennial, C3 grass
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Pooideae
Grass Category
Lawn/Turf Grass
Variety / Cultivar
Common blend (e.g., 'Midnight' or 'Baron')
Hardiness Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 7, excellent cold tolerance, struggles in extreme summer heat of the deep south
About This Grass
Fine to medium textured turfgrass forming a dense, rich green lawn with boat-shaped leaf tips and good wear recovery due to spreading rhizomes
Blade Characteristics
Medium-fine width (2-4mm), folded in the bud, boat-shaped tip, prominent parallel veins giving a railroad-track appearance, membranous ligule, and no auricles
Root System
Moderately deep fibrous root system combined with extensive branching rhizomes that form a dense sod and moderate thatch under high fertilization
Growing Information
Origin Region
Europe, Northern Asia, and parts of North America; well-adapted to northern temperate regions
Growth Habit
Rhizomatous, spreading underground via robust rhizomes to form a dense sod
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun (at least 6-8 hours daily), moderate to high water needs, moderate drought tolerance by entering summer dormancy
Mowing & Maintenance
Mow at 2.0 to 3.5 inches, moderate to high maintenance level, requires regular fertilization and occasional aeration/dethatching
Special Characteristics
Good traffic and wear tolerance, excellent self-repairing ability via rhizomes, prone to summer patch and leaf spot if mismanaged
Ecological Information
Widely naturalized in North America, provides good soil stabilization and turf density, often mixed with Perennial Ryegrass and Tall Fescue