#dactyloid

[stopandlook]

Scientific Name: Bouteloua dactyloides Common Name(s): Buffalograss, buffalo grass Family: Poaceae (grass) Life Cycle: Perennial Leaf Retention: Semi-evergreen Habit: Graminoid USDA L48 Native Status: Native Location: Plano, Texas Season(s): Summer

[thistleteeth]

ok ok experimenting with the idea of succession-blooming native plant "lawn". i fully expect to have to look for or even select for traffic tolerance. cant have it all, yk? anyway. plants i'm considering so far:

Claytonia virginica

Viola species (i think there are about 12 to pick from local, could go wild and plant em all in their respective microclimates)

Carex pensylvanica, appalachica, eburnea, and probably like 30 other sedges

Podophyllum peltatum !!!!!

Fragaria virginiana

Geranium maculatum

Chrysogonum virginiatum

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

Mitchella repens

Erythronium americanum 😍

Bouteloua dactyloides and gracilis and i have to read up on the local grasses

Diervilla lonicera omg i DID forget abt her for a sec how could i

Eragrostis spectabilis

Ruellia humilis

Schizachyrium scoparium ofc

Thalictrum spp,

Sisyrinchium angustifolium

Parthenocissus quinquefolia

[douglasskingseeds]

Embracing the Beauty of Texas Native Turf Seeds

In the vast expanse of the Lone Star State, where the sun beats down and the soil tells tales of resilience, there lies a hidden gem in landscaping: Texas native turf seeds. These seeds hold the essence of the land, embodying the rugged beauty and tenacity of Texas itself. From the sprawling plains to the rugged hills, native turf seeds offer a sustainable and visually stunning solution for landscaping projects across the state.

Exploring Texas Native Turf Seeds: Texas native turf seeds encompass a variety of grass species uniquely adapted to the state's diverse climates and soils. Among the most popular are buffalo grass, blue grama, and Texas grama. These grasses have evolved over millennia to withstand the harsh conditions of Texas, making them exceptionally well-suited for residential, commercial, and public landscaping projects.

Buffalo Grass: With its low-maintenance requirements and drought tolerance, buffalo grass (Buchloe dactyloides) reigns supreme as a top choice for Texas lawns. This warm-season perennial grass thrives in full sun and well-drained soils, making it ideal for the hot and dry conditions common throughout much of the state. Its fine texture and attractive green hue create a lush carpet-like appearance that enhances any landscape while requiring minimal water and fertilizer inputs.

Blue Grama: Blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) is another native grass species that has earned its place in Texas landscapes. This warm-season grass is known for its distinctive blue-green foliage and delicate seed heads, which sway gracefully in the breeze. Blue grama is exceptionally drought-tolerant and adapts well to a wide range of soil types, making it a versatile choice for both residential and commercial landscaping projects. Its low-maintenance nature and resilience to Texas' challenging climate make it a favorite among homeowners and landscapers alike.

Texas Grama: As its name suggests, Texas grama (Bouteloua rigidiseta) is indigenous to the Lone Star State, thriving in its arid landscapes and sun-drenched plains. This warm-season grass forms dense tufts of fine-textured foliage, providing excellent ground cover and erosion control in both residential and commercial settings. Texas grama is prized for its ability to withstand prolonged periods of drought and its resilience to heat and humidity, making it an ideal choice for sustainable landscaping projects throughout Texas.

Benefits of Texas Native Turf Seeds: The use of Texas native turf seeds offers a multitude of benefits for both the environment and property owners:

Water Efficiency: Native turf grasses are naturally adapted to Texas' climate, requiring less water than traditional non-native species. By using native turf seeds, property owners can significantly reduce their water consumption and contribute to water conservation efforts.

Low Maintenance: Texas native turf grasses are well-suited to the state's climate and soil conditions, requiring minimal maintenance once established. With proper care, native turf lawns remain lush and green year-round, reducing the need for mowing, fertilization, and pesticide applications.

Wildlife Habitat: Native turf grasses provide essential habitat and food sources for Texas wildlife, including birds, butterflies, and pollinators. By incorporating native turf seeds into landscaping projects, property owners can support local ecosystems and promote biodiversity in their communities.

Resilience: Texas native turf grasses are naturally resilient to the challenges posed by the state's climate, including drought, heat, and fluctuating temperatures. By choosing native species, property owners can enjoy beautiful and sustainable landscapes that thrive despite environmental pressures.

In the dynamic tapestry of Texas landscapes, native turf seeds stand as a testament to the resilience and beauty of the Lone Star State. From the sprawling plains to the rugged hills, these grasses offer a sustainable and visually stunning solution for landscaping projects across Texas. By embracing the beauty of Texas native turf seeds, property owners can create landscapes that not only enhance the aesthetic appeal of their surroundings but also contribute to the conservation of Texas' natural resources for generations to come.

For more info:-

texas native turf seeds

DKseeds

[popgenpapers]

Interactions with fungi vary among Tripsacum dactyloides genotypes from across a precipitation gradient

http://dlvr.it/SzWjLy

[vickysaurus]

A little green anole!

[urlocalplantbae]

Bitch why does Buffalograss have two different scientific names???

I’m just gonna use both of them in my lab project and try to impress my professor lol.

[xtruss]

May Ranch! Dawn on the Ranch

Conservation Ranching Initiative! May Ranch: An island of grass in a sea of developed land. Sunrise on May Ranch in Southeast Colorado. Photo: Evan Barrientos/Audubon Rockies

In the Blue Twilight of a spring morning, the bubbly chorus of Lark Buntings, tinkling voices of Horned Larks, and flutelike songs of Western Meadowlarks ring through the Shortgrass Prairie. As the orange sun emerges, Blue Grama (Bouteloua Gracilis), Buffalo Grass (Bouteloua Dactyloides), and other Native Grasses begin to glow, punctuated by the Yellows, Whites, Purples, and Oranges of Native Flowers. Burrowing Owls poke their heads out of the Black-tailed Prairie Dog towns scattered across the landscape. From the Marshes surrounding Big Sandy Creek, Black Rails Sing their Nasal Ki-Ki-Doo!

Walking between the herds of cattle, it feels that the prairie rolls on forever, but it does not. This place, the May Ranch, is an island of grass in a sea of developed land.

Surrounding the 15,550-acre cattle ranch near Lamar, Colorado, is a patchwork of cropfields spreading farther than the eye can see. Although they support the people who live here, the cropfields are uninhabitable to most birds. This is why maintaining a financially and ecologically sustainable ranch is so important to the May Family; without it, the island of grass would likely be swallowed whole.

Generations of Stewardship

Growing up in Southeast Colorado, Dallas May watched as the prairie around him disappeared. After leasing ranchland for 32 years, the May family finally purchased it in 2012, in part to ensure that it would stay habitat for wildlife. While this was a great achievement for the family, it also brought a tremendous challenge.

Unlike most ranching families, the Mays did not inherit their land. Purchasing it meant they’d have to make mortgage payments for many years to come, and failure to make those payments would mean losing the ranch. To avoid that, they had to find a way to make their ranch as profitable as possible without sacrificing the health of their land and the wildlife on it.

“So in looking for ways to become more financially viable, we started down the road of being all natural, grass-fed,” says Dallas. After exploring several options that never seemed to gain traction, Dallas finally contacted Audubon Rockies and learned about Audubon's Conservation Ranching Initiative. Quickly, he realized that Audubon’s program was unique. Not only did it help him market his cattle, but it helped him enhance habitat for birds and other wildlife. “It’s obvious to anybody that’s involved that if you have habitat that birds can thrive in, every other species of wildlife will thrive in that habitat,” says Dallas.

“It’s obvious to anybody that’s involved that if you have habitat that birds can thrive in, every other species of wildlife will thrive in that habitat.”

During this time, Dallas’s son, Riley, began to manage the ranch as well. “We would really like to have everything the way you see it here be exactly the way it is today in a hundred years, so that my kids and my grandkids and their grandkids can all come out and appreciate this,” says Riley, who has a young son himself. “We have to be able to understand the importance of what we’re doing out here and what we have, and we need to be good stewards of what we’ve been given.”

(Left to right) Dallas, Riley, Chase, and Re'ne May. Photo: Evan Barrientos/Audubon Rockies

Caring for the Land

Under the stewardship of the May family, the prairie has remained not only unplowed, but also healthy and full of life. The Mays know, as do all good ranchers, that if you mistreat the land, you won’t be ranching long. “We try to keep as natural a balance as we can through our pastures,” says Dallas. “We graze them lightly and we move [the cattle] at different times of the year.”

This practice of resting some pastures while actively grazing others creates a diversity of habitat types, from sparse vegetation where Horned Larks pluck insects from flowers, to tall grass where Grasshopper Sparrows sing, swaying in the wind.

The Mays also understand how important healthy grasslands are for fighting climate change. By allowing grass on parts of their ranch to grow tall, they increase the amount of carbon that the grasses can sequester. “We’re taking in that carbon and storing it in the soil rather than releasing it in the atmosphere,” explains Riley. “I think that’s a huge benefit of being able to graze efficiently; we can provide a carbon uptake instead of spewing it out."

To make sure their management is benefitting the land and wildlife, the Mays have numerous surveys done on their land every year. In addition to Audubon’s annual bird surveys, there are botanical surveys, soil carbon monitoring, rangeland health monitoring, and stream health surveys.

Dallas’s goal of creating a stronghold for wildlife has come true. During the last severe drought, the regional Scaled Quail population nearly vanished, according to Dallas. But he continued to see them in the wet and shrubby areas of his ranch. When the drought subsided, he watched as the quail reappeared in the lands around his ranch. “I firmly believe that it’s because they had one magnet area that was a breeding ground…and then they were able to move out and repopulate the region. I think that’s why it is so important to have one place in an area where birds can thrive.” Thanks to the May family’s stewardship, Audubon’s Conservation Ranching Initiative, numerous other partners, and consumers who buy the Mays' beef, birds will still have this island of grass.

[typhlonectes]

A new giant anole (Squamata: Iguanidae: Dactyloinae) from southwestern Ecuador

FERNANDO AYALA-VARELA, SEBASTIÁN VALVERDE, et al.

Abstract

We describe a new species of Anolis lizard from the Pacific slopes of the Andes of southwestern Ecuador at elevations between 372–1,000 m. 

The new species belongs to the Dactyloa clade and may be distinguished from other Anolis by size, external anatomy, mitochondrial DNA divergence, and dewlap color. Based on phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence data, we found that the new species is sister to A. fraseri in a clade composed primarily of large Dactyloid species. 

The new species is known from a protected area in southern Ecuador, Buenaventura Reserve, which suggests that at least some its populations are well protected.

Read the paper: https://mapress.com/zt/article/view/zootaxa.4991.2.4

[mushrooms-and-millipedes]

Ecology Book Review: Farming the Dust Bowl: A First-Hand Account from Kansas, by Lawrence Svobida

Hello! This is the first of (hopefully) many book reviews. These posts will contain reviews of books dealing with nature, the environment, and ecology.

For the first entry in this series I've chosen Farming the Dust Bowl: A First-Hand Account from Kansas, a sort of autobiography by Lawrence Svobida. While the book focuses greatly on his life as a farmer, Svobida aims to give the reader a total view of the Dust Bowl, it's environs, native populations, and weather.

Overview

Published 1941, 256 pages

Explains how poor farming practices in the mid-1910's and 1920's led to the Dust Bowl phenomenon

Key ecological concepts: soil erosion/conservation, population decline, desertification

Plot

Svobida, a Kansan farmer during the height of the Dust Bowl, presents a plain-spoken story of one man fighting against all of nature to produce a crop. During and Post-WWI, the USA began to produce massive amounts of wheat. The market and government incentives heavily encouraged farmers to produce maximum crop-yields, which in turn lead to the Dust Bowl. Poor farming practices contributed, such as a lack of crop rotation, leading to a wheat monoculture. By the early '30's, the region known as the Dust Bowl was plagued by Dust storms, and increasingly arid. It is here that our author begins his personal account. Svobida came from a family of means, which would allow him to do anything he wanted, but he himself states "from the time I was in knee pants, my one and only ambition had been to be a farmer" (Svobida 43).¹ He makes it known early on that he is a very diligent worker (operating a farm out of Meade County, Kansas), boasting that where others would give up and move on, he would persist; he regularly attests to his own ability to put in more hours working than his neighbors. In 1931 he produces a large wheat crop, but it is entirely destroyed by hail. He is virtually unable to produce a profitable crop for the next 7 years.

Ecological Concepts

Svobida does not only document his farming endeavors, however. He also goes into great detail on the changing ecology in the Dust Bowl.

Soil erosion/conservation: One of the greatest challenges Svobida faces is the blowing dust. He works tirelessly to prevent his land from blowing, using multiple methods, including listing, water conservation, and summer-fallowing.² While this allows some limited success, his efforts are constantly thwarted by indifferent neighbors who do not make any effort to prevent their land from blowing. The resulting dust accumulating on his land often suffocates his crops and causes his land to blow too. He consistently fights a losing battle against the wind, the dust, and his neighbors. Further leading to the erosion of the land is a lack of rain, and the notorious heat wave of 1936.

Population decline: Svobida also provides great detail on the effects of poor farming practices (and the resulting dust) on populations native to the great plains. The greatest change resulting in the Dust Bowl was the decline of the native, soil-anchoring buffalo grass (Bouteloua dactyloides); the incentive to profit off of huge amounts of crops lead to a majority of the great plains being converted to farmland. In this sense, B. dactyloides possibly be viewed as a keystone species, not in the food-web sense, but in an environmental sense, for once it was removed, the resulting dust negatively impacted nearly every other species on the plains.

Jackrabbits, once seen as a common pest, begin to dissappear. Rattlesnakes dissappear. Several bird species are choked and killed by the dust. Non-native species are unable to survive too - trees introduced to anchor the soil and prevent strong winds are soon drowned by the dust, and dry out from the lack of moisture.

Not every population is decreases, however. Locust populations seemingly explode, and without a lack of predators keeping the populations in check, multiple crops are destroyed by the locusts.

Desertification: perhaps the most alarming ecological change documented by Svobida is that of the desertification of the great plains region. While Svobida's prediction of the entire Midwestern US becoming a desert equivalent to the Saharan turned out to be inaccurate, the immediate Dust Bowl area to this day remains negatively affected by the poor farming practices of a century ago.³ Svobida warned that the growing aridity, diminishing vegetation, and increasingly powerful winds were all contributing to what he called "The Great American Desert."

Conclusion

Svobida was a simple yet intelligent person, environmentally conscious, and interested in doing what was best for the land and his fellow farmers. He was distraught by the perceived indifference of farmers across the country, and despite his best efforts to succeed as a Dust Bowl farmer, the end of his book sees him financially ruined and his will broken. Farming the Dust Bowl provides a cautionary tale for us, as the unsustainable farming (literally unsustainable, as the land eventually could no longer meet the needs of the farmers) of the early 20th century led to devastating and lasting effects for the Dust Bowl region. Svobida warns us of the temptation to disregard the natural order found in a diverse ecosystem for financial gain.

I very much enjoyed this book; a former Kansan myself, I found it fascinating to learn about the history of the state and great plains region, especially in a way so intricately tied to its ecology. I'm amazed by Svobida's continued persistence and integrity throughout his time as a farmer, despite his circumstances.

Throughout his book, Svobida points to environmental concerns that eerily echo those of today. Surprisingly, I doubt I would be able to distinguish between many of his own warnings and those of a contemporary author. I will end this review with a quote from his own work:

"Although history reveals that events of major importance are likely to repeat, human beings cling to a naïve faith in the possibility of a special intervention of Providence on their personal behalf ... Government experts, however, are well aware that huge areas of the United States have been laid waste by the kind of exploration that takes no thought of the morrow. There are numerous Government publications on the subject of erosion, soil conservation, reclamation, and the like. The figures covering land waste are staggering. Yet, it seems to be, the great mass of the public remains indifferent, unable to grasp the immensity of the catastrophe that not only threatens but already is upon us, as a nation" (Svobida 245-246).

¹ Svobida, Lawrence. Farming the Dust Bowl: a First-Hand Account from Kansas. University State Press of Kansas/Eurospan, 1987.

² Strip listing is a method Svobida describes as "running deep parallel furrows twenty or thirty feet apart, in an east and west direction, across the path of the prevailing winds"

Summer following is the practice of allowing land to rest during a growing season (in this case, summer) in order to save moisture and nutrients

³Hornbeck, Richard. 2012. “The Enduring Impact of the American Dust Bowl: Short- and Long-Run Adjustments to Environmental Catastrophe.” American Economic Review 102 (4) (June): 1477-1507. doi:10.1257/aer.102.4.1477. http://dx.doi.org/10.1257/aer.102.4.1477

[instantcyclepizza]

Oviedo - anuncios clasificados de jardines, patio trasero, plantas,

Tipos de plantas de césped Los céspedes no necesitan estar, y no siempre han estado, hechos solo de hierbas. Otras plantas para áreas de jardín utilizables similares a césped son juncos, hierbas bajas y flores silvestres, y cubiertas de suelo sobre las que se puede caminar.

La zona de la derecha no se ha cortado desde el otoño anterior. Miles de variedades de pastos y plantas similares a pastos se utilizan para el césped, cada una adaptada a condiciones específicas de precipitación e irrigación, temperaturas estacionales y tolerancias de sol / sombra. Los hibridadores de plantas y los botánicos están constantemente creando y encontrando variedades mejoradas de las especies básicas y nuevas, a menudo más económicas y ambientalmente sostenibles al necesitar menos agua, fertilizantes, tratamientos de plagas y enfermedades y mantenimiento. Las tres categorías básicas son pastos de estación fría, pastos de estación cálida y pastos alternativos.

Pastos Actualmente se utilizan muchas especies diferentes de césped, según el uso previsto y el clima. Los pastos gruesos se utilizan donde se practican deportes activos, y los pastos más finos se utilizan para céspedes ornamentales por sus efectos visuales. Algunas gramíneas se adaptan a climas oceánicos con veranos más fríos y otras a climas tropicales y continentales con veranos más calurosos. A menudo, se usa una mezcla de césped o tipos de plantas bajas para formar un césped más fuerte cuando a un tipo le va mejor en las estaciones más cálidas y al otro en las más frías. Esta mezcla se lleva más allá con una forma de mejoramiento de la hierba que produce lo que se conoce como cultivares. Un cultivar es un cruce de dos variedades diferentes de césped y tiene como objetivo combinar ciertos rasgos tomados de cada raza individual. Esto crea una nueva cepa que puede ser muy especializada, adecuada para un entorno particular, como poca agua, poca luz o poca cantidad de nutrientes.

Diagrama de una típica planta de césped Hierbas de estación fría Los pastos de estación fría comienzan a crecer a 5 ° C (41 ° F) y crecen a su velocidad más rápida cuando las temperaturas están entre 10 ° C (50 ° F) y 25 ° C (77 ° F), en climas que tienen un clima relativamente templado / veranos frescos, con dos períodos de rápido crecimiento en primavera y otoño. [31] Conservan bien su color en condiciones de frío extremo y, por lo general, crecen céspedes muy densos, en forma de alfombra, con relativamente poco techo de paja. Oviedo, jardín, jardineros, paisajistas, diseño de jardines Hierba azul (Poa spp.) Bentgrass (Agrostis spp.) Ryegrasses (Lolium spp.) Festuca (Festuca spp.) Hierba de caña (Calamogrostis spp.) Hierba de pelo copetudo (Deschampsia spp.) Hierbas de estación cálida Los pastos de estación cálida solo comienzan a crecer a temperaturas superiores a 10 ° C (50 ° F) y crecen más rápido cuando las temperaturas están entre 25 ° C (77 ° F) y 35 ° C (95 ° F), con un período de crecimiento largo durante el primavera y verano (Huxley 1992). A menudo permanecen inactivos en los meses más fríos y se vuelven de tonos bronceados o marrones. Muchos pastos de estación cálida son bastante tolerantes a la sequía y pueden soportar temperaturas de verano muy altas, aunque las temperaturas inferiores a -15 ° C (5 ° F) pueden matar la mayoría de los pastos de estación cálida del ecotipo del sur. Las variedades del norte, como el pasto búfalo y el grama azul, son resistentes a 45 ° C (113 ° F).

Hierba zoysia (Zoysia spp.) Bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) Hierba de San Agustín (Stenotaphrum secundatum) Hierba bahia (Paspalum spp.) Ciempiés (Eremochloa ophiuroides) Hierba alfombra (Axonopus spp.) Hierba de búfalo (Bouteloua dactyloides) Hierba grama (Bouteloua spp.) Hierba Kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum) Alternativas de césped Las especies y cultivares de Carex están bien representados en la industria de la horticultura como alternativas de 'juncia' a la 'hierba' en céspedes cortados y prados de jardín. Tanto los cultivares ornamentales de bajo crecimiento como las especies nativas se utilizan en el paisajismo sostenible como sustitutos de césped de bajo mantenimiento y tolerantes a la sequía para céspedes y prados de jardín. Los proyectos de restauración de hábitats de tierras silvestres y el paisajismo y jardines naturales los utilizan también para áreas "fáciles de usar". El Museo J. Paul Getty ha utilizado Carex pansa (juncia de pradera) y Carex praegracilis (juncia de dunas) de forma extensiva en los jardines de esculturas de Los Ángeles. [32]

Algunas juncias inferiores utilizadas son: Carex caryophyllea (cultivar 'The Beatles') C. divulsa (juncia de Berkeley) [32] C. glauca (juncia azul) (sin. C. flacca) C. pansa (juncia del prado) [32] C. praegracilis (juncia de dunas) [32] C. subfusca (juncia de montaña) [32] C. tumulicola (juncia de estribaciones) (cultivar 'Selección de Santa Cruz Mnts.') [32] C. uncifolia (juncia rubí) Alternativas de cobertura del suelo

Una de las plantas de cobertura del suelo, gayuba común Algunos céspedes son reemplazados por cubiertas de tierra baja, como tomillo rastrero, manzanilla, Lippia, Mazus de flores púrpura, Dymondia gris, sedums rastreros y jenny rastrera. [33] Un ejemplo de esto es el césped floral en Avondale Park. Otras alternativas a los céspedes incluyen prados, jardines xeriscape tolerantes a la sequía, paisajes naturales, jardines de hábitat de plantas nativas, patios españoles pavimentados y jardines de patios, jardines de mariposas, jardines de lluvia, césped tapizado y huertos familiares. Los árboles y arbustos en las proximidades del césped proporcionan un hábitat para las aves en los jardines tradicionales, de cabañas y de vida silvestre.

Cuidado y mantenimiento del césped El establecimiento y cuidado del césped estacional varía según la zona y el tipo de clima

para más detalles: https://oviedo.bedpage.es/LawnServices/

[ksstradio]

What to Keep In Mind If Considering Buffalo Grass For An East Texas Lawn

What to Keep In Mind If Considering Buffalo Grass For An East Texas Lawn

By David Wall, Mount Pleasant Master Gardener Almost every year about this time, people start asking whether they should try buffalo grass (Bouteloua dactyloides). It’s a warm season grass that does well with little to no maintenance and has relatively little water requirements once established. Until then, it takes as much water as most other lawn grasses. It can be laid down as seed (not…

[aisling-saoirse]

Tripsacum dactyloides - Gama Grass

[lawntips]

Xeric Lawn Trial: Buffalo Vs. Blue Grama Grass - Lawn Tips

[douglasskingseeds]

Sustainable Greenery Embracing Eco-Friendly Grass for a Greener Tomorrow

In a world where environmental consciousness is paramount, every aspect of our lives is being reevaluated for its ecological impact. Landscaping, too, is undergoing a transformation towards sustainability. One notable stride in this direction is the adoption of eco-friendly grass, a green alternative that not only enhances the beauty of outdoor spaces but also contributes to a healthier planet.

The Need for Eco-Friendly Grass:

Traditional grass varieties often require excessive water, fertilizers, and pesticides to maintain their lush appearance, putting a strain on water resources and contributing to soil and water pollution. Eco-friendly grass, on the other hand, is cultivated with an emphasis on environmental sustainability. These grasses are specifically chosen for their ability to thrive with minimal resources, making them an ideal choice for eco-conscious landscaping.

Benefits of Eco-Friendly Grass:

Water Conservation: Eco-friendly grass varieties are typically drought-resistant and require significantly less water than their conventional counterparts. This not only helps in water conservation but also reduces the environmental impact associated with excessive water usage.

Low Maintenance: One of the key advantages of eco-friendly grass is its low maintenance requirements. These grass varieties are often hardy and can withstand various weather conditions without the need for constant attention, reducing the need for harmful chemical inputs.

Chemical-Free Landscaping: Traditional lawns often rely on chemical fertilizers and pesticides to maintain their appearance. Eco-friendly grass, however, thrives without the need for such chemicals, contributing to a healthier and more natural outdoor environment.

Carbon Sequestration: Certain eco-friendly grasses have the ability to sequester carbon from the atmosphere, playing a role in mitigating the impacts of climate change. This makes them a valuable asset in the fight against global warming.

Biodiversity Enhancement: Some varieties of eco-friendly grasses are known for their ability to support local biodiversity. By creating a more natural and sustainable landscape, these grasses provide habitats for insects, birds, and other wildlife, contributing to a healthier ecosystem.

Popular Eco-Friendly Grass Varieties:

Buffalograss (Bouteloua dactyloides): Native to North America, Buffalograss is known for its low water requirements and excellent drought tolerance. It forms a dense, green carpet that is not only visually appealing but also environmentally friendly.

Fine Fescue (Festuca spp.): Fine Fescue is a cool-season grass that includes several species known for their adaptability and low maintenance. These grasses thrive in a variety of conditions and are often used for their shade tolerance.

Zoysia Grass (Zoysia spp.): Zoysia Grass is a warm-season grass that is highly drought-resistant and can thrive in various soil types. It is known for its dense growth, making it an excellent choice for lawns with high foot traffic.

Embracing eco-friendly grass is a significant step towards creating sustainable and environmentally responsible landscapes. As individuals and communities increasingly recognize the importance of conservation, the adoption of these grass varieties becomes a powerful tool in the broader effort to build a greener and healthier planet. By choosing eco-friendly grass for our lawns and outdoor spaces, we not only enhance the beauty of our surroundings but also contribute to a more sustainable and harmonious relationship with nature.

For more info:-

seeds for food plots

[rena-demo-gardens]

Blue Grama

Scientific Name: Bouteloua gracilis

4-16”; full sun or light shade; variety of well-drained soils; drought tolerant

Description: This hardy warm-season bunch grass called “blue grama” is Colorado’s official state grass and a wonderful native plant for garden interest nearly all year long. The simple, slender leaves are bright green to bluish green in summer with noticeable and numerous seedheads that resemble eyelashes and later eyebrows as they dry and curl in the fall.  The shape of the seedheads gave rise to common names such as “eyelash grass” and “lamb’s eyelashes.” The plant turns tan in dormancy and the seedheads remain into fall and winter, giving structure and texture to the landscape and forage for wildlife. (See picture of appearance in fall below.) Blue grama is a treat for many creatures, providing shelter and seeds for birds and small mammals and nutritious forage for wild and domestic grazing animals. This native grass is also a host plant for satyr and skipper butterflies, and bees have been spotted on the purplish flower spikelets in late summer, when many other flowers have disappeared and gone to seed. People often call this “plant blue grama grass,” but it is more correctly called simply blue grama, as adding “grass” can be seen as redundant. “Grama” itself is an American-Spanish word (derived from Latin) meaning “grass,” specifically, a type of grass of the genus Bouteloua.

Blue grama tolerates some foot traffic and even a little shade, so it can provide a low-water, low-maintenance native alternative to typical turfgrass. Though it is a bunchgrass and, therefore, has a clumping habit, it combines nicely with buffalograss (Buchloe dactyloides) for an interesting native lawn. This pairing is common in the Northern Colorado wild and, therefore, looks natural and supports local insects and wildlife. This versatile plant is also pleasing as an ornamental grass (particularly the larger, cultivated variety known as ‘Blonde Ambition’), or as part of a wildflower prairie garden or native pasture.  Blue grama grows at elevations from 3,200 to 9,700 and has a huge root system that helps control erosion and benefit soil health.  Good for naturalizing, it spreads readily and can be divided. As this is a warm-season grass, it greens up in late spring. If you like tidier plants, the brown previous year’s growth can be cut off by hand or with an electric hedge trimmer in mid- to late-spring before the new shoots put on much growth. Cut back to 4-6″ above the base of the plant, or just above any new shoots you see.

Height:  Much variation here; 4-16” for naturally occurring varieties, or up to 36” in the case of the popular, taller-growing nursery selection called ‘Blonde Ambition.’  For wild varieties, the grass blades rise to only about 4″, with stalks bearing seedheads accounting for an additional 6″ to 12″ in height.

Spread/Spacing: Plants spread 10-18” in the wild. Plants grown from native seed should be planted 18” apart. The common nursery offering ‘Blonde Ambition’ (a cultivated variety, or “cultivar”) grows taller and wider, and has a spread of 30-36.” Specimens of this cultivar should be planted 24-36” apart. 

Exposure:  Sun to light shade

Soil Tolerances:  Prefers low-fertility, gravelly, sandy loams or clay-loams. Must be well-drained soil. Tolerates some clay or sandy soil but not pure clay or sand.

Soil Moisture:  Dry

Water: Low to moderate; may go dormant and turn tan in drought. Very good drought tolerance.

Bloom: June-August; tiny reddish-purple florets that can give a field or patch a purplish cast. Late summer brings small, decorative seedheads resembling eyelashes; they curl as they mature to look more like eyebrows and remain on plant as it goes dormant in fall.

Pollinator value:  Blue grama provides shelter and forage for insects, birds, and mammals.  The grass is a host plant for satyr and skipper butterflies. Bees are attracted to flower spikes for pollen in late summer, although the plant is pollinated by wind.

Deer & Rabbit Resistance:  No, but blue grama may be grazed after the growing season without damage to the plant. The grass retains high nutrient value even after drying and is a boon to both wild and domestic grazing animals.

Where they like to grow:  Found on the Great Plains of the U.S. and Canada, blue grama is a great native plant for sunny gardens or landscapes located in areas that were once short-grass prairie.

Cultivation Notes: Lower-growing varieties of blue grama can be planted by seed or small plugs to fill in larger spaces. It combines well with low-growing native wildflowers and buffalograss. The larger blue grama cultivar ‘Blonde Ambition’ mixes nicely with taller native wildflowers and is offered by garden centers in pots of different sizes for transplanting. Moisture and sun conditions may also influence the mature size of blue grama; the largest plants benefit from being cut back in late spring, just as new green shoots are beginning to emerge.

Photo credit (top): Flowering specimen at River’s Edge gardens by Kathy Maher

Photo credit (bottom): Patrick Alexander from Las Cruces, NM - Bouteloua gracilis, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=94220967

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