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| ## Kentucky bluegrass {#kentucky-bluegrass .Title-Header}             |
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| *Poa pratensis* L.                                                    |
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| Plant Symbol = POPR                                                   |
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Contributed by: USDA NRCS National Plants Data Center

### ![](media/image2.jpeg){width="1.8423611111111111in" height="2.6881944444444446in"}

##### Alternate Names  {#alternate-names .Header-3}

June grass, *Paneion pratense*, *Poa anceps*, *Poa angustifolia* var.
*pratensis*, *Poa angustifolia* var. *angustiglumis*, *Poa pratensis*
var. *macounii, Poa pratensis* var. *pinegensis, Poa pratensis* var.
*stricta, Poa pratensis* var. *transnominata, Poa pratensis* var.
*urjandhaica, Poa pubescens, Poa urjanchaica, Poa viridis*, smooth
meadow grass, spear grass.

##### Uses {#uses .Header-3}

*Landscape:* Kentucky bluegrass is a popular sod-forming grass that is
used on golf courses, ski slopes, and campsites.

*Livestock:* Kentucky bluegrass is an important forage species for sheep
and cattle. In the west, it is very abundant and frequently used as a
forage crop. In the east, it is planted as a pasture grass. It is not
usually used for hay, but it has been found as an invader of hay mixes.

*Rehabilitation:* Kentucky bluegrass is included in seed mixes that are
used to revegetate roadbanks. It is a slow-growing plant, establishes in
2 to 3 years and forms a dense sod. It is not as good at stabilizing
soil as its native counterparts.

*Wildlife:* Elk, mule deer, and bighorn sheep eat Kentucky bluegrass. It
is an important winter forage grass for these animals in the west.
Cottontail rabbit, wild turkey, and prairie chickens consume the leaves
and seeds of Kentucky bluegrass. In the mountain meadows of Oregon, the
northern pocket gopher, mice, and Columbian ground squirrel feed off of
the dominating Kentucky bluegrass. Therefore this is an important
habitat for foraging raptors. Kentucky bluegrass also provides cover for
small mammals and nongame birds.

##### Legal Status {#legal-status .Header-3}

Kentucky bluegrass is listed as an invasive weed in the Great Plains
States and Wisconsin. Please consult the PLANTS Web
(http://plants.usda.gov) site and your State Department of Natural
Resources for this plant's current status (e.g. threatened or endangered
species, state noxious status, and wetland indicator values).

##### Weediness {#weediness .Header-3}

This plant may become weedy or invasive in some regions or habitats and
may displace desirable vegetation if not properly managed. Please
consult with your local NRCS Field Office, Cooperative Extension Service
office, or state natural resource or agriculture department regarding
its status and use. Weed information is also available from the PLANTS
Web site at plants.usda.gov.

##### Description {#description .Header-3}

*General*: Grass Family (Poaceae). Kentucky bluegrass is a cool-season
perennial sod-forming grass. The roots are shallow, often within the
upper 8 cm of the soil surface. Stems are 30 to 90 cm tall. Leaves are
attached to the base of the stem, folded and sometimes hairy at the
point of attachment, have flat blades, are 2 to 5 mm wide and 10 to 40
cm long. The inflorescence is an open panicle consisting of two to six
flowers. The lemmas have a tuft of cobwebby hairs. Flowering starts in
May and fruit is mature by mid-June.

Kentucky bluegrass is distinguished from Canada bluegrass (*Poa
compressus*) by its darker green foliage, longer leaves, and pubescence
at the bases of the leaves.

*Distribution*: Kentucky bluegrass is native to portions of North
America, including areas within the United States. Exact delineation of
native status has not been determined, but data seems to indicate that
it is native in parts of the southeast, northeast, and upper Midwest
regions and introduced or naturalized elsewhere. It occurs throughout
the United States although it is most prevalent in the northern half. It
is not common in the Gulf States or in the desert regions of the
southwest. For current distribution, please consult the Plant Profile
page for this species on the PLANTS Web site (http://plants.usda.gov).

*Habitat*: Kentucky bluegrass is promoted on sites that have cool and
humid climates. It is found in uplands and lowlands of the tallgrass
prairie and in the lowlands of mixed-grass prairies where adequate
precipitation falls. In the west, it is found on northern exposures at
mid to high elevations. In the southwest and California, it is found in
cool mountainous regions.

It frequently occurs as an understory dominant in aspen habitats
throughout the Intermountain Region, ponderosa pine,
sagebrush/bunchgrass, and bunchgrass habitats throughout the U.S., and
riparian habitats in the Mountain West. It is also a common dominant of
Midwestern prairies.

##### Adaptation {#adaptation .Header-3}

Kentucky bluegrass is found most abundantly on sites that are cool and
humid. It has become naturalized across North America and often occurs
as a dominant species in the herbaceous layer.

Kentucky bluegrass grows best on well-drained loams or clay loams rich
in humus and on soils with limestone parent material. It needs large
amounts of

nitrogen during active growth stages. The optimal soil pH is between 5.8
and 8.2.

In the Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon and southeastern Washington,
Kentucky bluegrass dominance is an indicator of dry to moist meadow
conditions and of soils that are dark brown to black and clayey.

Kentucky bluegrass plants that have shorter leaves are more likely to
produce tillers. Plants that occur in full sun have shorter leaves while
those in shade have leaves longer than the stems. Therefore plants that
are in full sun will produce more tillers and spread more quickly than
those in the shade.

Kentucky bluegrass is intolerant of drought, excessive flooding, high
water tables, and poorly drained soils.

**Establishment**

For lawn establishment, plant 2 to 3 pounds of seed per 1,000 square
feet. Seeding rates are reduced when seed is drilled into the top 1 inch
of soil. Kentucky bluegrass can be seeded year-round, but the best
results are obtained in the spring and fall. Seeds require light and
frequent watering (2 to 3 times per day for the first 2 weeks) for
germination to occur. After seedling emergence, watering frequency can
be reduced.

##### Management {#management .Header-3}

The active growth stage of Kentucky bluegrass begins in late
winter/early spring. By midsummer, it is nearly dominant on its sites.
Cool temperatures in fall promote growth when other species are dying
back. It spreads by rhizomes, produces abundant seed, and can become
established on disturbed sites faster than other plant species. It is an
aggressive competitor with native species.

Total replacement of Kentucky bluegrass by natives is labor-intensive
and impractical. It is best to manage for warm season native grasses
rather than against Kentucky bluegrass. In grasslands, atrazine and
glyphosphate are effective herbicides for decreasing Kentucky bluegrass
abundance when applied prior to seeding warm-season native grasses like
big bluestem. Also, irregular spring and fall burns can help to control
or maintain co-dominance of Kentucky bluegrass (as opposed to complete
dominance).

Kentucky bluegrass pastures are best managed under a grazing system
other than season-long use. At the end of the growing season, it becomes
less palatable and protein and fiber contents decline.

##### Pests and Potential Problems {#pests-and-potential-problems .Header-3}

White grubs, billbugs and sod webworms can destroy plantings of
bluegrass. Insect populations should be monitored so that timely
insecticide applications can be made. Pest management in this manner is
much more cost effective than routine insecticide applications or
replanting large areas.

Kentucky bluegrass is sometimes vulnerable to fungal infections
including *Fusarium*, *Helminthosporium*, leaf spot, rust and powdery
mildew. Mixing bluegrass seed with ryegrass will prevent *Fusarium*
blight.

##### Seeds and Plant Production {#seeds-and-plant-production .Header-3}

##### Seeds are sown in springtime in a cold frame containing moist compost. Seedlings are thinned to individual pots and moved into a greenhouse where they will remain for the first winter. After the last spring frost, plant the seedlings into their permanent positions. Plant divisions can be directly planted into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer. {#seeds-are-sown-in-springtime-in-a-cold-frame-containing-moist-compost.-seedlings-are-thinned-to-individual-pots-and-moved-into-a-greenhouse-where-they-will-remain-for-the-first-winter.-after-the-last-spring-frost-plant-the-seedlings-into-their-permanent-positions.-plant-divisions-can-be-directly-planted-into-their-permanent-positions-in-late-spring-or-early-summer. .Header-3}

##### Cultivars, Improved, and Selected Materials (and area of origin) {#cultivars-improved-and-selected-materials-and-area-of-origin .Header-3}

There are over one hundred Kentucky bluegrass cultivars readily
available by commercial sources. Many of these cultivars have been
developed for disease resistance, and nutritional content for livestock.

Contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service (formerly Soil
Conservation Service) office for more information. Look in the phone
book under "United States Government." The Natural Resources
Conservation Service will be listed under the subheading "Department of
Agriculture."

##### Control {#control .Header-3}

Please contact your local agricultural extension specialist or county
weed specialist to learn what works best in your area and how to use it
safely. Always read label and safety instructions for each control
method. Trade names and control measures appear in this document only to
provide specific information. The USDA NRCS does not guarantee or
warranty the products and control methods named, and other products may
be equally effective.

**References**

Agricultural Research Center. 2004. *GRIN taxonomy*
(http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/index, 26 July 2004). USDA,
Beltsville.

Dubel, R.L. 2004. *Kentucky bluegrass*
(http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/plantanswers/turf/publications/bluegrass.html,
23 July 2004). Texas Cooperative Extension, Texas A&M University,
College Station.

Morris, R. 2002.*Plants for a future database*
(http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/index.html, 23 July 2004). Plants for a
Future, Devon, England.

##### Randall, J.M. 2003. *Image of Poa pratensis.* (http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/esadocs/poa_prat.html, 23 July 2004). University of California, Davis. {#randall-j.m.-2003.-image-of-poa-pratensis.-httptncweeds.ucdavis.eduesadocspoa_prat.html-23-july-2004.-university-of-california-davis. .Header-3}

#####  {#section-1 .Header-3}

##### Rayburn, E. and J. Hall. 2004. *The identification of grasses* (http://www.caf.wvu.edu/\~forage/library/cangrass/content.htm, 23 July 2004). Department of Agriculture and Forestry, West Virginia University, Morgantown. {#rayburn-e.-and-j.-hall.-2004.-the-identification-of-grasses-httpwww.caf.wvu.eduforagelibrarycangrasscontent.htm-23-july-2004.-department-of-agriculture-and-forestry-west-virginia-university-morgantown. .Header-3}

#####  {#section-2 .Header-3}

##### Sather, N. 1996. *Element stewardship abstract (ESA) for Poa pratensis and Poa compressa.* (http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/esadocs/poa_prat.html, 23 July 2004). University of California, Davis. {#sather-n.-1996.-element-stewardship-abstract-esa-for-poa-pratensis-and-poa-compressa.-httptncweeds.ucdavis.eduesadocspoa_prat.html-23-july-2004.-university-of-california-davis. .Header-3}

#####  {#section-3 .Header-3}

##### Uchytil, Ronald J. 1993. *Poa pratensis*. (http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/, 23 June 2004). Rocky Mountain Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Missoula. {#uchytil-ronald-j.-1993.-poa-pratensis.-httpwww.fs.fed.usdatabasefeis-23-june-2004.-rocky-mountain-research-station-usda-forest-service-missoula. .Header-3}

#####  {#section-4 .Header-3}

##### Wunderlin, R.P., and B.F. Hansen. 2003. *Atlas of Florida vascular plants* (http://www.plantatlas.usf.edu, 23 July 2004). Institute of Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa. {#wunderlin-r.p.-and-b.f.-hansen.-2003.-atlas-of-florida-vascular-plants-httpwww.plantatlas.usf.edu-23-july-2004.-institute-of-systematic-botany-university-of-south-florida-tampa. .Header-3}

##### Prepared By:  {#prepared-by .Header-3}

*Sarah Wennerberg*

Formerly USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

##### Species Coordinator:  {#species-coordinator .Header-3}

*Mark Skinner*

##### USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center  {#usda-nrcs-national-plant-data-center .Header-3}

##### Baton Rouge, Louisiana {#baton-rouge-louisiana .Header-3}

##### Edited: 4Aug2004 sbw; 21Oct2004 rln; 060808 jsp {#edited-4aug2004-sbw-21oct2004-rln-060808-jsp .Header-4}

For more information about this and other plants, please contact your
local NRCS field office or Conservation District, and visit the PLANTS
Web site\<[http://plants.usda.gov](http://plants.usda.gov/)\> or the
Plant Materials Program Web site
\<[http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov](http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov/)\>

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