Kentucky Bluegrass
Poa pratensis · Cool-season, Perennial, C3 grass
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Pooideae
Grass Category
Lawn/Turf Grass, Sports Turf
Variety / Cultivar
Common blend, often including turf-type cultivars like 'Midnight' or 'Compact'
Hardiness Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 7, highly cold tolerant, goes into winter dormancy, susceptible to extreme summer heat without irrigation.
About This Grass
Forms a dense, medium-fine textured turf with a vibrant medium-to-dark green color. Unmowed height reaches 18 to 24 inches with distinctive pyramidal panicle seed heads, while maintained turf forms a dense carpet.
Blade Characteristics
Blades are 2 to 4 mm wide, V-shaped or folded in the bud with distinctive boat-shaped tips and prominent parallel parallel veins. Ligule is short and membranous, auricles are absent.
Root System
Moderate depth fibrous root system combined with aggressive underground rhizomes, moderate thatch tendency, and medium establishment speed from seed.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Europe and Northern Asia, widely naturalized and cultivated across North America and temperate regions worldwide
Growth Habit
Rhizomatous, spreading extensively via underground stems to form a dense, uniform sod
Sunlight & Water Needs
Performs best in full sun, requires regular watering (1 inch per week), moderate drought tolerance through summer dormancy, prefers well-drained fertile soils with pH 6.0-7.0.
Mowing & Maintenance
Mow at 2.0 to 3.5 inches height, medium-high maintenance level, requires 2 to 4 lbs N per 1000 sq ft annually, regular aeration and dethatching needed.
Special Characteristics
Excellent traffic and wear tolerance due to aggressive self-repairing rhizomes, good cold tolerance, moderate shade tolerance, prone to summer patch and dollar spot diseases.
Ecological Information
Introduced species in North America, provides excellent erosion control and dense ground cover, frequently blended with Perennial Ryegrass and Fine Fescues.