Most people who want a xeriscape don't want zero lawn. They want a patch to walk on barefoot without feeding a sprinkler system all summer. A buffalograss or blue grama lawn does that: a soft, walkable native turf that, according to CSU Extension, stays green and attractive on 50 to 75 percent less irrigation than Kentucky bluegrass once established, and needs mowing only a few times a year. The trade-offs are real: a long tan dormant season, full-sun only, and a demanding first summer. This guide compares the options and walks through planting.
Buffalograss (Bouteloua dactyloides, syn. Buchloe dactyloides) and blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) are the grasses of the shortgrass prairie. The Wildflower Center notes that blue grama is commonly planted as a turfgrass mixed with buffalograss.
How they compare
| Buffalograss | Blue grama | Kentucky bluegrass | Turf-type tall fescue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Warm-season, spreads by stolons | Warm-season bunchgrass | Cool-season, spreads by rhizomes | Cool-season bunchgrass |
| Zones | 4–9 | 3–10 | 3–7 | Cool-season areas (varies by cultivar) |
| Summer water once established | 1 in every 2–4 weeks (CSU) | Similar to buffalograss or less | Much more; weekly in summer | Less than bluegrass, more than natives |
| Green season on the Front Range | Late May to first hard frost | Late May to fall | April to November | April to November |
| Mowing height | Unmowed 3–6 in, or mow to 2–3 in | Unmowed 12–24 in with seed heads, or mow to 3–4 in | 2.5–3 in | 2.5–3.5 in |
| Foot traffic | Moderate; recovers well | Light to moderate | High | High |
| Shade | Needs full sun | Needs full sun | Some shade | Moderate shade |
| Establishment water | Same as bluegrass (CSU) | Same as seeding any lawn | Same | Same |
Blue grama is rated zones 3–10 and is the better choice for colder, higher sites. Buffalograss 'Sharp's Improved' is rated zones 3–9 by the Missouri Botanical Garden; we use zone 4 as the practical limit because CSU warns it's not a good choice above about 6,500 feet, where the green season is too short.
What you get
- Water: CSU recommends a minimum of one to two inches of rain or irrigation every two to four weeks in summer to keep buffalograss actively green. Established lawns can survive with no irrigation but go dormant most summers and are then prone to weeds.
- Mowing: buffalograss tops out around 4 to 6 inches and blue grama a bit taller. Mow monthly for a tidy look, or leave it for a soft meadow with blue grama's eyelash seed heads.
- Traffic: buffalograss spreads by aboveground runners into a true sod and handles moderate use. Blue grama is a bunchgrass and handles a little less wear.
- Low inputs: CSU suggests one pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet in late May to mid-June and again in late July. More than that mostly grows weeds.
The real downsides
A long dormant season. Warm-season grasses break dormancy in mid- to late spring, well after bluegrass, and turn tan at the first hard frost. In zone 5 and zone 6 expect tan from about October to May. It's a soft wheat color, not gray, but if a green lawn in April matters to you, this isn't it.
Full sun only. CSU lists more than half a day of heavy shade as a reason not to plant buffalograss.
A hard first year. CSU is blunt that establishing buffalograss from seed "can be a labor-intensive and somewhat frustrating process," and that it takes as much water to establish as bluegrass or tall fescue. Weeds are the main pest.
Not for constant heavy traffic. Small, heavily used play lawns and athletic fields are better in a cool-season grass on efficient irrigation. Occasional heavy use is fine.
Not for salty or very sandy soil without extra irrigation.
Seed, plugs or sod
- Seed is cheapest. Seeded buffalograss varieties include 'Cody', 'Texoka', 'Bowie' and 'Sharpshooter'; 'Hachita' is a proven blue grama. Many suppliers sell a buffalograss and blue grama blend. CSU recommends 3 to 5 pounds of buffalograss seed per 1,000 square feet, planted about half an inch deep.
- Plugs give you the dense, low vegetative buffalograsses such as 'Legacy' and 'Prestige'. CSU says plugs on 12- to 18-inch centers can give complete cover in 6 to 12 weeks. 'UC Verde' is a warm-climate selection for California and the low desert.
- Sod is the quickest and least frustrating route, CSU says, but it costs significantly more than bluegrass sod and is harder to find.
How to plant a buffalograss or blue grama lawn
- Remove the old lawn and weeds completely. Any bluegrass left behind will outcompete the natives where you water. Our lawn removal guide covers the methods, and many Western utilities offer lawn removal rebates if you apply first.
- Prepare a firm, level seedbed. CSU's test: dry soil should be firm enough that you sink no more than an inch when you walk on it. Roll loose soil.
- Time it for warm soil. Buffalograss seed germinates once soil warms above 55°F in late spring; sow any time from spring through late July. Seed sown from August through September may sprout and die over winter. Dormant seeding from October to December also works: the seed waits and germinates the following spring. Plant plugs after the last spring frost and at least six weeks before the first fall frost.
- Keep it moist. Seedlings appear in 7 to 21 days with warm soil and consistent water. Plugs and sod often turn brown for a week or two after planting while they root; that's normal if you've kept them moist.
- Don't use crabgrass preventer when seeding. CSU says pre-emergent herbicides should not be used at seeding (pendimethalin is safe with plugs). Avoid "weed and feed" products.
- Fertilize lightly and mow occasionally. Feed two to three weeks after seedlings emerge and again about six weeks later. Mowing encourages spreading.
- From year two: water deeply about an inch every two to four weeks in summer, starting in mid- to late May if spring is dry. Watering earlier doesn't speed green-up; it just grows weeds.
Where they make sense, and where they don't
Across the sunny, dry West and Great Plains, from the Front Range and Colorado Springs to Texas, these grasses are the easiest compromise between a lawn and a xeriscape. CSU Extension points out that play and pet areas are often best left in turf, and a native lawn is a way to keep that function on far less water. In shady yards, above about 6,500 feet, or for small lawns that get pounded every day, keep a right-sized cool-season lawn on efficient irrigation instead. A well-placed lawn is part of the seven principles of xeriscaping.
From our installs
On Front Range jobs, the native lawns that succeed all share three things: the old bluegrass was completely dead before seeding, the seed went down between late May and early July, and someone kept the surface moist for the first three weeks. The ones that struggle were sown into leftover bluegrass, watered like bluegrass in year two (which grows weeds and bluegrass), or sited under trees. On clay we lightly till the top few inches and roll before seeding. Hail doesn't bother these grasses much; a July hailstorm on a new seeding can wash seed around, so we overseed thin spots in August. (Xeris Landscaping is owned by Xeriscaping.com's founder.)
Frequently asked questions
How much less water does buffalograss use than bluegrass?
CSU Extension says turf-type buffalograss can stay green and attractive on 50 to 75 percent less irrigation than Kentucky bluegrass once established. Establishment takes as much water as any new lawn.
When does buffalograss turn green?
In mid- to late spring, well after bluegrass, and it goes dormant with the first hard fall frost. On the Front Range, that's roughly late May through early October.
Can I mix buffalograss and blue grama?
Yes. The blend is common and gives buffalograss's sod-forming spread plus blue grama's cold tolerance and seed heads.
Will buffalograss grow in shade?
No. It needs full sun; more than half a day of heavy shade leads to thin turf.
Can I overseed my existing bluegrass lawn with buffalograss?
It rarely works. Bluegrass outcompetes buffalograss wherever it's watered. Remove the old lawn first.
Prefer no lawn at all? See drought-tolerant groundcovers, the upcoming lawn alternatives guide, or use blue grama's 'Blonde Ambition' as an ornamental accent. To estimate your savings, see how much water xeriscaping saves.
