Explore Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Can't find the answer in our existing FAQs, submit a question to Mr. Smarty Plants.
Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.
rate this answer
Tuesday - July 08, 2008
From: Houston, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Grasses or Grass-like
Title: Buffalograss for Houston
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
Will 609 buffalograss sod perform well in Houston, Texas? I am being told that it will yellow and get filled with weeds and that it won't handle the humidity. Is this all true? Help, please.ANSWER:
Bouteloua dactyloides (buffalograss) should do just fine in Houston. In fact, the West Harris County Regional Water Authority cites buffalograss for its low water requirements compared to Bermuda and St. Augustine grasses. Buffalograss does do best in full sun (6 or more hours/day) and you will have to be diligent about pulling up and/or digging out weeds until your lawn is well established, but then it should be relatively care-free—you shouldn't have to mow it but once or twice a year and it will require little water. Buffalograss isn't ever as green as, say, St. Augustine and it will go dormant in very cold weather and turn brown. In Houston, that should be for only a short period of time, if at all. If your lawn has shaded areas, you would be better off planting something else for those area like a groundcover or sedges (see suggestions for groundcovers and sedges below). Please read our How to Article "Native Lawns: Buffalograss" and you might also like to read "Sedge Lawns for Every Landscape" by John Greenlee.We receive many questions about buffalograss and rather than repeat all the answers we've given, I refer you to the Ask Mr. Smarty Plants page where you can pull up these answers by typing 'buffalograss' into the Keyword Search slot.
Sedges:
Carex blanda (eastern woodland sedge)
Carex cherokeensis (Cherokee sedge)
Groundcovers:
Phyla nodiflora (turkey tangle fogfruit)
Calyptocarpus vialis (straggler daisy)
More Grasses or Grass-like Questions
Is installing irrigation with Habiturf a good idea in Round Rock Texas?
December 05, 2011 - Mr. Smarty Plants,
I am in the process of planning a new lawn in my front yard. We have decided to plant the Habiturf seed mix (thank you, by the way). Originally, we planned on installing a spri...
view the full question and answer
What is pulling Indian Grass out of a park in Washington DC?
June 29, 2011 - We are renovating a park in Washington, DC on the waterfront. We have planted Sorghastrum Nutans (Indian Grass). During the evening/overnight something is pulling the plants from the ground. It is onl...
view the full question and answer
Native Hill Country grasses, flowers for April garden show
March 17, 2005 - I will be a first ever (!) exhibitor in my garden club's garden show this April 7. Our theme is The Passion of Texas - my specific category is The Hill Country. Help!!! All materials I use must be al...
view the full question and answer
Holding bare soil before sowing native grasses in spring.
November 03, 2009 - I want to try your buffalo/bluegrama/curly mesquite. Right now my yard is ploughed. What should I do until spring? I assume I should add living compost to the top 3", plant bluegrass for now, and ...
view the full question and answer
Ground cover for high traffic area in Pennsylvania
August 01, 2012 - I am wondering if there is a Pennsylvania native turf like grass/plant that can withstand a lot of foot traffic (public area with lots of children). This will be used in a formal setting so will need ...
view the full question and answer
 |
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. Mr. Smarty Plants wants you to be his Facebook friend. Click the Facebook icon to add yourself to Mr. Smarty Plants list of friends. |
Bibliography
Atlas of the Vascular Plants of Texas (2003) Turner, B. L.; H. Nichols; G. Denny; O. DoronNative Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. WasowskiSearch More Titles in Bibliography
