South Lawn ( White House ) - wikipedia South Lawn ( White House ) Marine One descending to the South Lawn State Arrival Ceremony for Former President Gloria Macapagal - Arroyo of the Philippines Snow on the Atlas Cedar ( Cedrus atlantica ) on the South Lawn The 2007 Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn Sheep graze on the South Lawn during the administration of Woodrow Wilson A c. 1868 stereograph showing the earliest fountain on the South Lawn The South Lawn at the White House in Washington, DC, is located directly south of the house, and is bordered on the east by East Executive Drive and the Treasury Building, and on the west by West Executive Drive and the Old Executive Office Building, and along its curved southern perimeter by South Executive Drive and a large circular public lawn called The Ellipse. Since the address of the White House is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, and the North Lawn faces Pennsylvania Avenue, the South Lawn is sometimes described as the back lawn of the White House. Contents 1 Description and use 2 Design and horticulture 2.1 Specimen trees 2.2 Seasonal plantings 3 Amenities 3.1 Ceremonial gardens 3.2 Tennis court / basketball court 3.3 Swimming pool 3.4 Putting green 3.5 Children 's garden 3.6 Helicopter landing area 3.6. 1 1974 White House helicopter incident 3.7 Running track 3.8 Playground 3.9 Vegetable garden 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External links Description and use The South Lawn presents a long north - south vista from the house. Open to the public until the Second World War, it is now a closed part of the White House grounds that provides a setting for official events like the State Arrival Ceremony as well as informal gatherings including the annual White House Egg Rolling Contest and staff barbecues. Marine One, the presidential helicopter, departs from and lands on the South Lawn. Design and horticulture When the White House was first occupied in 1800 the site of the South Lawn was an open meadow gradually descending to a large marsh, the Tiber Creek, and Potomac River beyond. Thomas Jefferson completed grading of the South Lawn, building up mounds on either side of a central lawn. Jefferson, working with architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe located a triumphal arch as a main entry point to the grounds, just southeast of the White House. Pierre - Charles L'Enfant's 1793 plan of the city of Washington, indicates a setting of terraced formal gardens descending to Tiber Creek. Later in 1850, landscape designer Andrew Jackson Davis attempted to soften the geometry of the L'Enfant plan, incorporating a semicircular southern boundary and meandering paths. Andrew Jackson Davis 's changes included enlarging the South Lawn, creating a large circular lawn he termed the `` Parade or President 's Park '' and bordered by densely planted shrubs and trees. During the administration of Ulysses S. Grant the marsh to the south was drained, and the South Lawn received additional grading and 8 to 10 feet of fill to make the descent to the Potomac more gradual. During the administrations of Rutherford B. Hayes and ( the first of ) Grover Cleveland the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were engaged to reconfigure the South Lawn, reducing the size of Downing 's circular parade, and creating the current boundaries much as they presently are. Theodore Roosevelt who had engaged the architectural firm of McKim, Mead, and White to reconfigure and rebuild parts of the White House in 1902, was influenced to remove the complex of Victorian era glass houses built up the West Colonnade and the site of the present West Wing. In 1934, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt engaged Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. to evaluate the grounds and recommend changes. Olmsted understood the need to offer presidents and their families a modicum of privacy balancing with the requirement for public views of the White House. The Olmsted plan presented the landscape largely as seen today : retaining or planting large specimen trees and shrubs on the perimeter to create boundaries for visual privacy, but punctuated with generous sight lines of the house from north and south. The lawn is planted with a grass variety called tall fescue ( Festuca arundinacea ). Specimen trees Trees on the South Lawn include the earliest remaining trees on the grounds to have been planted by a United States president -- President Andrew Jackson 's southern magnolias ( Magnolia grandiflora ) on either side of the South portico, Japanese threadleaf maple ( Acer palmatum dissectum ), American elm ( Ulmus americana ), white oak ( Quercus alba ), white saucer magnolia ( Magnolia × soulangeana ), Atlas cedar ( Cedrus atlantica ), sugar maple ( Acer saccharum ), and northern red oak ( Quercus rubra ). Seasonal plantings The South Lawn pool and fountain is planted seasonally with borders of tulips edged by grape hyacinth ( Muscari armeniacum ) for spring, red geranium ( Pelargonium ) and Dusty Miller ( Senecio cineraria ) in summer, and chrysanthemum ( Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium ) in fall. Amenities Ceremonial gardens The two ceremonial gardens of the White House ( the Rose Garden and the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden ) face the South Lawn. The Rose Garden ( sometimes referred to as `` The Presidents Garden '' ) is located south - west of the main residence along the west colonnade, just outside the Oval Office. The Jacqueline Kennedy Garden is located south - east of the main residence along the east colonnade. The garden was dedicated by Lady Bird Johnson as the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden on April 22, 1965, although it has been called the `` First Lady 's Garden '' by some later administrations. Tennis court / basketball court A tennis court was first installed during the Theodore Roosevelt administration on the south lawn. Since then, the court has been moved several times, eventually landing in its current position in the south - west area. President Obama had basketball court lines and removable baskets installed so he could play full court basketball. Located just west of the tennis / basketball court is a half - court basketball area that also housed a horseshoe pit. Swimming pool The pool was installed in 1975 by President Gerald Ford. It is located directly south of the West Wing. The original pool at The White House was indoors, located in between the main residence and the West Wing, however President Nixon turned it into an area for the press. Putting green The putting green was first installed in 1954 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower who was an avid golfer. It was removed by President Nixon and later reinstalled by President George H.W. Bush in 1991. However President Clinton moved it to its current location just south of the Rose Garden, a short walk from the Oval Office. Children 's Garden The children 's garden is located between the tennis court and basketball court to the south - west area of the property. The garden was a gift to the White House in 1968 from President Johnson and his wife. The garden supplies a secluded location for children to play in private. The garden features a goldfish pond in the sitting area. Footprints and handprints of various President 's children and grandchildren are embedded in various stones making up the walkway. Helicopter landing area The south lawn provides space for the Presidents helicopter, Marine One, to land directly on the White House grounds. The helicopter will take off and land in the grassy area directly south of the main residence. For aesthetic reasons, the lawn does not contain a full helipad, but rather three removable aluminum discs which accommodate the helicopter 's individual landing gear. 1974 White House helicopter incident The climax of the 1974 White House helicopter incident occurred on the South Lawn. Running track President Clinton had a quarter - mile long jogging track installed during his presidency in 1993. An avid runner, Clinton would regularly want to go on runs, but his doing so greatly disrupted Washington traffic ; thus the track was built. Playground A playground was installed in 2009 under President Obama for his two children Sasha and Malia Obama. The playground is located just south of the Oval Office. Vegetable Garden Michelle Obama installed a vegetable garden during her husband 's Presidency on the far south area of the property. The vegetables grown are used at the White House for meals as well as donated to area shelters. The Obamas also installed a beehive on the south lawn. References Jump up ^ Seale, William. ( 1996 ). The White House Garden... White House Historical Association. p. 22. ISBN 0 - 912308 - 69 - 9. Jump up ^ McEwan, Barbara. ( 1992 ). White House Landscapes... Walker and Company. pp. 142 -- 143. ISBN 0802711928. Jump up ^ Seale, William. ( 1996 ). The White House Garden... White House Historical Association. pp. 101 -- 102. ISBN 0 - 912308 - 69 - 9. Jump up ^ McEwan, Barbara. ( 1992 ). White House Landscapes... Walker and Company. pp. 151, 162. ISBN 0802711928. ^ Jump up to : McEwan, Barbara. ( 1992 ). White House Landscapes... Walker and Company. pp. 181 -- 183. ISBN 0802711928. Jump up ^ McEwan, Barbara. ( 1992 ). White House Landscapes... Walker and Company. pp. 151 -- 158. ISBN 0802711928. Jump up ^ McEwan, Barbara. ( 1992 ). White House Landscapes... Walker and Company. p. 107. ISBN 0802711928. Jump up ^ `` Dale Haney hosts Ask the White House ''. Georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov. 2008 - 10 - 16. Retrieved 2017 - 07 - 03. Jump up ^ Seale, William. ( 1996 ). The White House Garden... White House Historical Association. pp. 74 -- 75, 92 -- 93. ISBN 0 - 912308 - 69 - 9. Jump up ^ Seale, William. ( 1996 ). The White House Garden... White House Historical Association. pp. 104 -- 109. ISBN 0 - 912308 - 69 - 9. Jump up ^ James, Masters. `` The President 's club : How golf took over the White House ''. CNN. Retrieved 16 September 2015. Jump up ^ Associated, Press. `` Bush Gets Putting Green on White House Lawn ''. LA Times. Retrieved 16 September 2015. Jump up ^ Jones, Robert Trent, Jr. `` Robert Trent Jones Jr. on the history of the White House putting green ''. golf.com. Retrieved 16 September 2015. Jump up ^ Freeze, Christopher. `` The Time a Stolen Helicopter Landed on the White House Lawn - Robert Preston 's wild ride. ''. Air & Space. Smithsonian. Retrieved 22 March 2017. Further reading Abbott James A., and Elaine M. Rice. Designing Camelot : The Kennedy White House Restoration. Van Nostrand Reinhold : 1998. ISBN 0 - 442 - 02532 - 7. Clinton, Hillary Rodham. An Invitation to the White House : At Home with History. Simon & Schuster : 2000. ISBN 0 - 684 - 85799 - 5. Leish, Kenneth. The White House. Newsweek Book Division : 1972. ISBN 0 - 88225 - 020 - 5. McEwan, Barbara. `` White House Landscapes. '' Walker and Company : 1992. ISBN 0 - 8027 - 1192 - 8. Mellon, Rachel Lambert. The White House Gardens Concepts and Design of the Rose Garden. Great American Editions Ltd. : 1973. Seale, William. The President 's House. White House Historical Association and the National Geographic Society : 1986. ISBN 0 - 912308 - 28 - 1. Seale, William, The White House : The History of an American Idea. White House Historical Association : 1992, 2001. ISBN 0 - 912308 - 85 - 0. Seale, William. The White House Garden. White House Historical Association and the National Geographic Society : 1996. ISBN 0 - 912308 - 69 - 9. The White House : An Historic Guide. White House Historical Association and the National Geographic Society : 2001. ISBN 0 - 912308 - 79 - 6. External links History of the White House Gardens and Grounds White House Museum page on the White House grounds White House Complex White House Executive Residence Basement Basement Chief Floral Designer Ground floor China Room collection Office of the Curator Diplomatic Reception Room Library Map Room Vermeil Room State floor Blue Room Cross Hall East Room Entrance Hall Family Dining Room Grand Staircase Green Room Red Room South Portico State Dining Room Chief Usher Second floor Center Hall Dressing Room East Bedroom East Sitting Hall Family Kitchen Lincoln Bedroom Lincoln Sitting Room President 's Bedroom President 's Dining Room Private Sitting Room Queens ' Bedroom Queens ' Sitting Room Treaty Room Truman Balcony West Bedroom West Sitting Hall Yellow Oval Room Third floor Center Hall Diet Kitchen Linen Room Music Room Sun Room Work - out Room West Wing Cabinet Room Executive Office Oval Office Oval Office Study Press Briefing Room Roosevelt Room Situation Room East Wing Office of the First Lady Graphics and Calligraphy Office Presidential Emergency Operations Center White House Family Theater Social Secretary Visitors Office White House Military Office Grounds The Ellipse Jacqueline Kennedy Garden Lafayette Square North Lawn President 's Park Rose Garden South Lawn White House to Treasury Building tunnel Annex Eisenhower Executive Office Building New Executive Office Building White House Conference Center Blair House Trowbridge House Presidential Townhouse Nearby streets 15th Street 17th Street Constitution Avenue E Street East Executive Avenue H Street NW Hamilton Place Jackson Place Madison Place Pennsylvania Avenue State Place West Executive Avenue Coordinates : 38 ° 53 ′ 48 '' N 77 ° 02 ′ 12 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 38.8966 ° N 77.0366 ° W ﻿ / 38.8966 ; - 77.0366 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=South_Lawn_(White_House)&oldid=800654877 '' Categories : Gardens in Washington, D.C. 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Question: what kind of grass does the white house have
Answer: tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea)