Buffalo grass is a warm season grass native to the Great Plains of North America. It is named ‘buffalo’ because herds of buffalo lived off it during their migrations and roaming throughout the grasslands of North America.
It grows best in low rainfall areas because in high rainfall areas it will be overcome by bermuda grass.
The general consensus is that you should use buffalo grass if you prefer a native looking landscape that isn’t mowed very often.
Buffalo Grass Features
Growing season. Warm season grass.
Shade tolerance. Type of grass that is not tolerant of shade.
Sun requirement. Requires heavy sun for ideal health. Grows best in open plains without shade. Its native habitat is the Great Plains.
Drought tolerance. Highly tolerant of drought.
Foot traffic tolerance. Low traffic tolerance.
Maintenance needs. Very low maintenance. Does not require fertilizer or mowing.
Disease tolerance. Tolerant of disease. Susceptible to some pests.
Buffalo Grass Lawn Mowing
Mowing height. Mowing of buffalo grass should be infrequent for ideal health. 2 to 3 inches is the ideal height to keep it at.
Recommended lawn mower. Any of the best lawn mowers will be good.
Sources and Further Reading
1. The Wikipedia page for buffalo grass was used as the starting point while researching this page. It isn’t very detailed but provides a good background of information.
2. Just like most of the other grass types pages, Aggie-Horticulure.Tamu.edu website provided a detailed description of buffalo grass. Check it out if you want more information.
3. American-Lawns.com buffalo grass page has good mowing recommendations and lawn care suggestions for keeping your buffalo grass lawn tip-top.
4. Additional information on disease tolerance and buffalo grass characteristics was found here on the University of California Agriculture site.
