What species of grass is this? - Ask Extension
The attached picture is a sample of grass from my yard that grows weed free. I would like to identify it so I can plant more. It is not quack grass or...
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What species of grass is this? #867430
Asked May 07, 2024, 1:42 PM EDT
The attached picture is a sample of grass from my yard that grows weed free. I would like to identify it so I can plant more. It is not quack grass or zoysia.
Caroline County Maryland
Expert Response
Weed-free lawns have more to do with how the turf has been maintained and its density than it does the type of turfgrass being grown. Quackgrass is a weedy grass in Maryland lawns, so it would not be a likely component of a lawn mix, but we otherwise cannot see enough detail in the images to make an ID.
Grass ID relies on several finely-detailed structural traits, and mowing can make these even harder to find. We will link to two publications below that you can explore for what traits to identify for each main turfgrass type grown in Maryland (tall fescue, fine fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and zoysia). We will not be able to make an ID to cultivar level, though you can explore our recommended turfgrass cultivars list to find varieties that have proven performance in our challenging conditions that you can look for when next overseeding.
Grass ID relies on several finely-detailed structural traits, and mowing can make these even harder to find. We will link to two publications below that you can explore for what traits to identify for each main turfgrass type grown in Maryland (tall fescue, fine fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and zoysia). We will not be able to make an ID to cultivar level, though you can explore our recommended turfgrass cultivars list to find varieties that have proven performance in our challenging conditions that you can look for when next overseeding.
- Turfgrass Identification key [PDF] -- Ohio State
- Cool-season Turfgrass Identification -- Penn State
