Native Plants

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Saturday - April 07, 2007

From: Pflugerville, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Grasses or Grass-like
Title: Practicality of Bouteloua dactyloides as turf grass in Pflugerville
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

I live in Pflugerville next to Pfluger park. The soil is pretty rich there and I'm looking for a good turf grass to replace the weeds in the front yard. Someone recommended Turfallo. What do you think about that as opposed to St. Augustine and where is it available?

ANSWER:

Bouteloua dactyloides (buffalograss) is an excellent choice if your area is sunny. It requires little water and does not need to be mowed frequently. Here is an article from Texas Cooperative Extension on buffalo grass. St. Augustine grass, on the other hand, will grow in the shade but it does require more frequent watering and mowing. I recommend that you read Native Lawns in our "How to" articles. it compares the use of buffalo grass to other grasses and also gives advice on planting.