If you’re new to Colorado and the inter-mountain West, and you’re longing for those lush, green lawns that are so plentiful east of the Mississippi, we’ve got news for you. Much of Colorado is High Plains and relatively arid. What doesn’t fit that description is mountainous, with lots of snow in the winter and spring, monsoonal storms in the summer, and drought in the fall. Turf-style lawns, such as Kentucky Bluegrass, just don’t cut it here. A water-wise investment that looks as beautiful as turf can be had, according to the Denver Post:Denver Post 2016: “Rather than using the non-native Kentucky bluegrass, native grass species such as buffalo grass and blue grama offer aesthetic beauty and mat-like properties that rival that of Kentucky bluegrass. They are easy to establish and grow, and have very high drought tolerance. These native grasses have minimal water requirements and, once established, they will be able to support their own well-being from natural precipitation events”
The chart below shows the Native grasses that Jefferson Conservation District uses in their native grass seed mix, specific for granite soils, which are commonly found in our mountain region.
Native Grasses
| Jefferson Conservation District (for granite soils) | Andrew Wright (Colorado Native Plants) | CSU Colorado Native Grasses |
| Canby Bluegrass | Arizona Fescue | Arizona Fescue |
| Indian Ricegrass | Blue Grama | Indian Rice Grass |
| Little Bluestem | Green Needlegrass | June Grass |
| Rocky Mountain Fescue | Indian Ricegrass | Western Wheatgrass |
| Sheep Fescue | Little Bluestem | Alkali Ascaaton |
| Switchgrass | Mountain Muhly | Big Bluestem |
| Thickspike Wheatgrass | Sand Dropseed | Blue Grama, eyelashgrass |
| Western Wheatgrass | Thickspike Wheatgrass | Buffalo Grass |
| Western Wheatgrass | Indian Grass | |
| Little Bluestem | ||
| Sand Lovegrass | ||
| Silver Beard Grass | ||
| Sideoats Grama | ||
| Switchgrass |
