Oh yes, it’s grass, too. Legend has it that when early settlers looked out on the fields of Poa pratensis in Central Kentucky, the seed heads took on a purplish hue. In the sun, it looked blue-green. Hence, the name bluegrass was born.
Is grass in Kentucky really blue?
Kentucky Bluegrass is a funny name, as it turns out, because it didn’t come from Kentucky and lawns of Kentucky Bluegrass are green, not blue. Although it’s the most popular grass in North America, Kentucky Bluegrass isn’t native to North America. Instead, it’s native to Europe, Asia and Northern Africa.
What kind of grass is Kentucky blue?
Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) is a short-to-medium height, cool-season, long-lived, highly palatable, perennial grass that has smooth, soft, green to dark green leaves with boat-shaped tips.
What makes KY bluegrass blue?
The name Kentucky bluegrass derives from its flower heads, which are blue when the plant is allowed to grow to its natural height of 60 to 90 cm (2 to 3 feet). Poa pratensis is the type species of the grass family Poaceae.
Why is it called blue grass?
Legend has it that when early settlers looked out on the fields of Poa pratensis in Central Kentucky, the seed heads took on a purplish hue. In the sun, it looked blue-green. Hence, the name bluegrass was born.
What is the difference between fescue and Kentucky bluegrass?
Both tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass have dark green blades but while tall fescue has thin, coarse, broad blades, the blades of Kentucky bluegrass are thin and relatively fine. Many people would describe the touch of a tall fescue lawn as “rough” or scratchy” while a Kentucky bluegrass lawn is undeniably soft.
Where did Kentucky bluegrass come from?
Kentucky bluegrass is native to practically all of Europe, northern Asia and the mountains of Algeria and Morocco. Although the species is spread over all of the cool, humid parts of the U.S., it is not native to North America.
Is Kentucky bluegrass invasive?
It is highly valued as a pasture and turf grass, particularly in golf courses. However, it is considered an invasive weed in natural grassland ecosystems where it outcompetes native species and reduces biodiversity and alters nitrogen cycling and ecosystem function.
Is Blue grass really blue?
Turns out, it’s because the grass actually can be blue (well, purplish-blue) if it grows long enough for its seed pods to show, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. When the grass gets to its natural, unmown height of 1 to 2 feet, it has offshoots filled with seed pods.
Where is the grass blue in Kentucky?
The Bluegrass region is a geographic region in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It makes up the northern part of the state, roughly bounded by the cities of Frankfort, Paris, Richmond and Stanford.
Does Kentucky bluegrass stay green in winter?
During the winter months, Kentucky bluegrass sod will go dormant, and needs time, warmth, sunlight, and nutrients to GREEN-UP. In fact, your neighbors’ grass may green up before yours simply as a result of the genetics of the Kentucky bluegrass sod.
How is bluegrass different from country?
Bluegrass is a sub-genre of Country Music with characteristics that differentiate it from mainstream Country: The instrumentation is purely ‘string band’ based: Guitar, Banjo, Mandolin, Fiddle and Upright Bass. There is more emphasis on an ‘acoustic’ sound. The music is more free and the structures are more complex.
Is Kentucky bluegrass dark green?
Kentucky bluegrass is darker green than many varieties of improved, turf-type tall fescues. The strong rhizomes of Kentucky bluegrass can improve the tensile strength of sod. When weather is favorable, one Kentucky bluegrass plant can produce from 20 to 50 or more feet of rhizomes in five months.
Is Blue grass better than fescue?
Kentucky Bluegrass is a safe bet in areas with harsher winters and a limited warm season. By comparison, TTTF (Turf Type Tall Fescue) is a better choice for more temperate parts of the northern regions that get hotter and stay warmer longer.
Can you mix Kentucky bluegrass and fescue?
By mixing Kentucky Bluegrass with Tall Fescue, you get the benefits of both and reduce the negatives of each. Your lawn will thrive with moderate maintenance and watering, repair itself quickly, and remain attractive through summer heat and brisk fall temperatures.
Is fescue better than bluegrass?
While Kentucky bluegrass is vulnerable to weeds and diseases during summer and in generally hot climates, tall fescue is rather heat-tolerant and is resistant to summertime disease and weed invasions such as crabgrass.
Why is Kentucky bluegrass green?
However, many of these Kentucky bluegrass varieties that are grown and sold as sod have the growth characteristic of long winter dormancy and slow spring green-up. The cool dry weather of this spring has certainly exacerbated this growth response. Full green-up of these varieties typically occurs by mid- to late-May.
Is Kentucky bluegrass poisonous?
Seeds can lie dormant for 6 years. Seeds can be spread by mowing, foot traffic, birds, and cultivation. Poisoning: Not poisonous. Historical: It is native to Eurasia and has become naturalized around the globe.
What is Kentucky known for?
Kentucky is also known for its culture, which includes horse racing, bourbon, moonshine, coal, “My Old Kentucky Home” historic state park, automobile manufacturing, tobacco, bluegrass music, college basketball, Louisville Slugger baseball bats, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and the Kentucky colonel.
Will deer eat Kentucky bluegrass?
It is not as good at stabilizing soil as its native counterparts. Wildlife: Elk, mule deer, and bighorn sheep eat Kentucky bluegrass. It is an important winter forage grass for these animals in the west. Cottontail rabbit, wild turkey, and prairie chickens consume the leaves and seeds of Kentucky bluegrass.
How long does Kentucky bluegrass live?
one year
Annual bluegrass is grassy weed with a one year life cycle. It is a “winter annual”, meaning it germinates and matures in the fall, lives through the winter, and then produces seed in the spring before it dies. It is one of the first grasses to green up in the spring.
