Buffalo Grass
Bouteloua dactyloides
Ornamental Grass
Bloom
June — August
Color
Green — Tan
Height
4—8 inches
Spread
Spreads by stolons — forms turf
Sun
Full sun (6+ hours)
Water
Very low — 8—12 inches per season
The only turf grass native to the Colorado short-grass prairie, and the primary native alternative to Kentucky bluegrass. Buffalo grass spreads by stolons into a soft, fine-textured lawn on roughly a third of bluegrass's water — 8 to 12 inches per season versus 25 to 30. It greens up later in spring and goes dormant tan after the first hard frost, and it does not take heavy play traffic, so keep a small bluegrass patch where the kids and dogs actually run and convert the rest. Mow it once or twice a season, or not at all.
Growing conditions
- Soil: Well-draining, clay to loam
- Sun: Full sun (6+ hours)
- Water: Very low — 8—12 inches per season
- Drought tolerance: Excellent
- Hardiness: Colorado native / adapted · USDA Zones 4–7
Wildlife & ecology
- Pollinator value: Low — wind-pollinated, but supports skipper butterfly larvae
- Landscape use: Lawn replacement, low-traffic turf areas, parkways, large sunny slopes.
Want Buffalo Grass in your yard?
Xeris designs and installs native plant xeriscapes across Denver and the Front Range. We'll walk your site, assess soil and sun, and build a plan that thrives.
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