Star Seed

Kentucky Bluegrass is a cool-season perennial sod-forming grass. Flowering starts in May and fruit is mature by mid-June. Kentucky Bluegrass has darker green foliage, longer leaves, and pubescence at the bases of the leaves.

DISTRIBUTION: Kentucky Bluegrass is native to portions of North America, including areas within the United States. It occurs throughout the United States although it is most prevalent in the Northern half. It is not common in the Gulf States or in the desert regions of the Southwest.

HABITAT: Kentucky Bluegrass is promoted on sites that have cool and humid climates. It is found in uplands and lowlands of the tall grass prairie and in the lowlands of mixed-grass prairies where adequate precipitation falls. In the West, it is found on Northern exposures at mid to high elevations. In the Southwest and California, it is found in cool mountainous regions. It frequently occurs as an understory dominant in aspen habitats throughout the Intermountain Region, ponderosa pine, sagebrush/bunchgrass, and bunchgrass habitats throughout the U.S., and riparian habitats in the Moutain West. It is also a common dominant of Midwestern prairies.

ADAPTATION: Kentucky Bluegrass is found most abundantly on sites that are cool and humid. It has become naturalized across North America and often occurs as a dominant species in the herbaceous layer. Kentucky Bluegrass grows best on well-drained loams or clay loams rich in humus and on soils with limestone parent material. It needs large amounts of nitrogen during active growth stages. Kentucky Bluegrass plants that have shorter leaves are more likely to produce tillers. Plants that occur in full sun have shorter leaves while those in shade have leaves longer than the stems. Therefore, plants that are in full sun will produce more tillers and spread more quickly than those in the shade. Kentucky Bluegrass is intolerant of drought, excessive flooding, high water tables, and poorly drained soils.

LANDSCAPE: Kentucky Bluegrass is a popular sod-forming grass that is used on golf courses, ski slopes, and campsites.

LIVESTOCK: Kentucky Bluegrass is an important forage species for sheep and cattle. In the West, it is very abundant and frequently used as a forage crop. In the East, it is planted as a pasture grass. It is not usually used for hay, but it has been found as an invader of hay mixes.

WILDLIFE: Elk, mule deer, and bighorn sheep eat Kentucky Bluegrass. Legal Status: Kentucky bluegrass is listed as an invasive weed in the Great Plans States and Wisconsin.

WEEDINESS: This plant may become weedy or invasive in some regions or habitats and may displace desirable vegetation if not properly managed.

PLANTING RATE: 4# per 1,000 sq. ft.

Click Here to see the USDA Plant Guide

IMAGE: Haddock, Michael John. Wildflowers and Grasses of Kansas. University Press of Kansas, 2005.