Know Your Lawn Grass
Secondary Lawn Grass Species for Northern Illinois
Other turfgrass species may be used, or are often promoted for use, for certain situations in northern Illinois. Each has limitations when considered for lawns, however.
Tall fescue has a bunch-type growth habit, so it may not recover well
from damage.
Tall fescue features good heat and wear tolerance. Newer turf-type tall fescue cultivars are much improved in appearance as a lawn grass compared to the old types (such as Kentucky 31). There is some concern over winter hardiness. Tall fescue has a bunch-type growth habit, so it does not recover well after being damaged. Tall fescue would be a good choice for a warm, dry site, but may require overseeding periodically to maintain a quality stand. Tall fescue prefers full sun but also tolerates shade.
Creeping bentgrass, commonly used on golf courses, is rarely used for home lawns due to very high maintenance requirements (fertilizer, pest control). Creeping bentgrass spreads via stolons.
Buffalograss, although very drought tolerant, has limited uses in
northern Illinois.
Buffalograss, although very drought tolerant and slow growing, is not a desirable lawn grass. Quality is poor and establishment is very slow. Buffalograss is a warm season grass, meaning it has a short period of active growth in northern Illinois. Perhaps newer cultivars will become available that may be better suited for lawn use in northern Illinois.
Zoysiagrass, another warm season grass, will be dormant (straw-color) much of the season in northern Illinois, thus is not suggested for home lawns. Zoysiagrass has both rhizomes and stolons, producing a dense stand that readily produces thatch. Zoysiagrass is slow to establish. This grass does have very good heat and drought tolerance, as frequently promoted in magazine advertisements.
Zoysiagrass will be dormant for much of the growing season in northern
Illinois.
Rough bluegrass (Poa trivialis) adapts well to wet, shaded areas. Appearance quality as a lawn grass is poor, however, and rough bluegrass appears very weedy when mixed with other grasses in other situations. Rough bluegrass has thin leaf blades and stolons. Sabre is an improved cultivar of common rough bluegrass.
Annual ryegrass is a short-lived species that is not suggested for lawns. It is best suited as a quick, temporary cover for bare soil due to its rapid germination.
