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Kentucky bluegrass
Poa pratensis
The classic carpet lawn of the northern suburbs. Spreads by underground rhizomes, so it heals its own thin spots and gives that dense, striped, golf-fairway look.
Mow at
2.5 to 3.5 in
Water
1.25 in
per week, in one or two deep soakings
Light
Full sun to light shade
How to tell
- •Boat-shaped leaf tip, like the bow of a canoe
- •Two faint parallel lines running down the middle of the blade
- •Medium-fine blade, deep blue-green color
- •Spreads sideways and knits into a thick mat
In the collar counties
The dominant grass in sodded suburban lawns from Naperville to Schaumburg. If your lawn came with the house as sod, it is almost certainly mostly bluegrass.
Overseed with
An elite Kentucky bluegrass blend (three or more cultivars), or a bluegrass-ryegrass mix for faster fill
Strengths
- Self-repairing
- Best cold tolerance of any lawn grass
- Takes stripes beautifully
Weaknesses
- Slow to germinate (14 to 30 days)
- Goes dormant and brown in August drought
- Hungry: needs 3 to 4 feedings a year