Buffalo Grass Pros and Cons: Is It Right for Your Lawn?
Buffalograss (Bouteloua dactyloides) is one of the lowest-water lawns you can grow in the Central Plains — but it is genuinely wrong for some yards. This is the honest, extension-sourced breakdown of where it shines, where it fails, and how to decide before you spend money on seed.
- Best for: Low-water lawns, Central Plains, full sun
- Zones: 4–8, west of ~97th meridian
- Water: 50–75% less than Kentucky bluegrass
- Traffic: Light only — not kids/pets/sports
- Shade: No — needs full sun
- Green season: Warm-season; brown Oct–May
- Establishment: Slow — 2–3 years from seed
- Verdict: Superb in its niche, poor outside it
Buffalograss has a reputation as the ultimate no-fuss native lawn, and in the right yard that reputation is deserved. But “the right yard” is a narrower description than most marketing admits. The single most useful thing this page can do is help you tell honestly whether your yard is inside or outside buffalograss’s comfort zone — because inside it, few lawns are better, and outside it, few are more disappointing.
The pros — where buffalograss genuinely wins
Lowest water use of any real lawn
Once established, buffalograss survives on natural rainfall across most of its native range, using 50–75% less irrigation than Kentucky bluegrass. Colorado State University Extension places it at the very top of its list for Colorado lawn grasses that survive on the least water and maintenance. For a genuine turf lawn, nothing beats it on water.
Minimal mowing and fertiliser
Its low growth habit means many homeowners mow just 2–4 times per year, and some not at all — left natural it forms soft mounds at 4–8 inches. It needs very little fertiliser; K-State Extension warns that exceeding 2 lb of nitrogen per season actually defeats its low-maintenance advantage and invites weeds. Less input, not more, is the winning strategy.
Genuine cold and heat hardiness
It handles the temperature swings of the Great Plains — hot dry summers and cold winters alike. It goes dormant and browns in winter but returns to blue-green in spring; the dormancy is cosmetic, not death.
Deep roots for erosion control
Its deep root system holds soil far better than the shallow roots of conventional turf, making it a strong choice for slopes and erosion-prone ground where you still want a lawn-like cover.
Seed cost is not the real cost
Buffalograss seed looks expensive per pound, but K-State Extension notes the per-area cost is actually comparable to turf-type fescue, because it needs only 1–2 lb per 1,000 sq ft versus 6–8 lb for fescue. Over a lawn’s life, the water and maintenance savings dwarf the seed price.
The cons — where it genuinely fails
It will not take heavy traffic
This is the deal-breaker for many families. CSU Extension is blunt: buffalograss tolerates light recreation but is not adapted to small, heavily-used home lawns or athletic fields, and where children and pets use the lawn a lot, “buffalograss will disappear.” If your lawn is a play surface, this is the wrong grass.
No shade tolerance
Buffalograss needs full sun. CSU notes a shaded buffalograss lawn quickly becomes thin and patchy — a condition closely followed by extreme weediness. For shade, extension specialists point to fine fescue instead.
Slow establishment — measured in years
This tests patience. University of Maryland trials found buffalograss ground cover never exceeded 60% in the second year, only surpassing 70% in the third year (and that despite a severe drought). Expect two to three seasons of attention before it looks like a lawn.
Weeds during establishment and if over-managed
Its open growth habit leaves gaps that weeds exploit, especially while young. And counter-intuitively, over-watering or over-fertilising invites more weeds, not fewer — the lawn is weakest when you baby it.
Warm-season dormancy and regional limits
It is brown from first frost until mid-to-late spring — roughly October to May — so if you want year-round green, this is not it. And it is a Central Plains grass: it fails in the humid East and Pacific Northwest, where humidity brings disease and weed pressure it cannot outcompete. Its aggressive stolons can also creep into flower beds and neighbouring lawns.
Decision matrix
| Factor | Buffalograss | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Water need | ✅ Very low | Best-in-class for dry regions and water bills |
| Mowing | ✅ 0–4×/year | Minimal time and fuel |
| Foot traffic | ❌ Light only | Wrong for kids, pets, sports |
| Shade | ❌ Full sun only | Choose fine fescue for shade |
| Year-round green | ❌ Winter dormant | Brown Oct–May; cosmetic only |
| Establishment speed | ❌ 2–3 years | Requires patience; sod/plugs faster than seed |
| Region | ⚠ Central Plains | Fails in humid East / Pacific NW |
| Erosion control | ✅ Excellent | Deep roots hold slopes |
The honest verdict
Plant buffalograss if you’re in the Central Plains, have full sun, want the lowest-water lawn that still looks like turf, and your lawn is for looking at more than playing on. In that yard it is close to unbeatable — and the water savings alone justify the slow start.
Do not plant it if your lawn is a play surface for kids or dogs, has meaningful shade, needs to be green in winter, or sits in the humid East. In those yards buffalograss will frustrate you, and a fine fescue or a mixed native blend will serve you far better.
The middle path: if you love the water savings but need some durability, keep a small conventional or fescue play area and put buffalograss everywhere else. You don’t have to choose all-or-nothing.
Which buffalograss cultivar to choose
“Buffalograss” is not one product — cultivar choice materially changes how a lawn performs, and picking the wrong type is a common, avoidable mistake. Colorado State University Extension and other Plains programs distinguish seeded types that establish into a dense lawn (such as Bison, Bowie, and Cody) from vegetative types grown from sod or plugs (such as Legacy, Prestige, and Turffalo) that skip the slow seed phase. The one clear warning from the research: avoid cultivars bred for pasture or wildland revegetation — they grow longer, look less green, and compete poorly with weeds in a lawn setting. If you want a tidy turf look, choose a named lawn-type cultivar, not generic “buffalograss seed.”
| Establishment method | Example cultivars | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Seed | Bison, Bowie, Cody, Plains, Topgun | Lower cost; slower (2–3 yr) fill-in |
| Sod or plugs | Legacy, Prestige, Turffalo | Faster, denser lawn; higher upfront cost |
| Avoid for lawns | Pasture / revegetation types | Taller, less green, weed-prone |
The real cost over time
The sticker shock of buffalograss seed leads many people to the wrong conclusion. The honest accounting looks at the whole life of the lawn, not the bag price:
- Seed: Looks expensive per pound, but you sow only 2–3 lb per 1,000 sq ft (drilled or broadcast, per CSU Extension) — a fraction of the 6–8 lb fescue needs — so the per-area seed cost lands close to conventional turf.
- Water: This is where buffalograss pays you back. At 50–75% less irrigation than Kentucky bluegrass, the water saving compounds every summer for the life of the lawn.
- Fertiliser and mowing: Under 2 lb of nitrogen per season and as few as 0–4 mows per year means lower ongoing input costs — and K-State Extension notes that spending more on fertiliser actively harms the lawn, so restraint is both cheaper and better.
- The catch: Budget for the establishment period. Years one and two need weed management and some supplemental water, and sod or plugs cost more upfront than seed if you want to skip the wait.
Netted out, buffalograss is usually cheaper than a conventional lawn over five to ten years in its native region — the savings just arrive as lower water bills rather than a lower purchase price.
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Is buffalograss right for your yard?
✅ Good fit
- Central Plains, Zones 4–8, full sun all day
- You want the lowest possible water use and mowing
- Your lawn is ornamental / light-use, not a play field
- You can accept winter dormancy (brown Oct–May)
- You’ll be patient through a 2–3 year establishment
- Slopes or erosion-prone ground you still want covered
⚠️ Poor fit
- Kids or pets use the lawn daily (traffic kills it)
- Shade anywhere significant on the lawn
- You want year-round green with no dormancy
- Humid East, Southeast, or Pacific Northwest
- You want an instant lawn with no establishment wait
- You tend to over-water and over-fertilise (invites weeds)
What not to do
Frequently asked questions
Is buffalograss a good lawn?
In the right yard, yes — it’s one of the best low-water lawns available in the Central Plains, using 50–75% less water than Kentucky bluegrass with minimal mowing. Outside its niche (shade, heavy traffic, humid climates), it disappoints. Fit matters more than quality here.
What is the biggest disadvantage of buffalo grass?
Poor traffic tolerance. Colorado State University Extension notes it can’t handle heavy constant use, and where children and pets play on it regularly, the lawn thins out and fails. If your lawn is a play surface, choose a tougher grass.
Does buffalograss stay green all year?
No. It’s a warm-season grass that goes dormant and brown from the first hard frost until mid-to-late spring — roughly October to May — then returns to blue-green. The dormancy is normal and cosmetic, not death.
Why does buffalograss take so long to establish?
Its open growth habit and modest seedling vigour mean slow fill-in. University of Maryland trials showed under 60% ground cover in year two and over 70% only by year three. Sod or plugs establish faster than seed if you’re impatient.
Will buffalograss grow in shade?
No — it needs full sun. In shade it becomes thin and patchy and then weedy. For shaded low-water lawns, extension specialists recommend fine fescue instead.
Is buffalograss seed worth the cost?
Yes, when you look at the whole picture. The seed looks pricey per pound, but you need only 1–2 lb per 1,000 sq ft (versus 6–8 for fescue), so per-area cost is comparable — and the water and maintenance savings over the lawn’s life far exceed the seed price (K-State Extension).
Claims cross-checked against university extension sources; regional and traffic limits stated honestly.
Sources
- Colorado State University Extension — CSU: buffalograss good low-water substitute but drawbacks — warm-season dormancy, fails in shad
- Colorado State University Extension — CSU selection guide: no heavy traffic/athletic fields, weed invasion if over-managed, aggressiv
- Oklahoma State University Extension — OSU: benefits & challenges, winter dormant brown canopy
- University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science — U Maryland trials: 2nd-yr cover <60%, 3rd-yr >70%, slow establishment, not for humid climates
- K-State Research and Extension — buffalograss low N need, seed cost comparable to fescue per area, low water