Soft Buffalo
One of the best lawn grasses for shady areas has always been buffalo grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum). It forms a coarse, durable carpet and is reasonably drought tolerant. The good news is that recently some exciting new kinds of buffalo lawn have been released in Australia under the name Soft Buffalo. The most promising member of this group is a variety called Shademaster, which grows even more successfully in shady spots. At Burke’s Backyard we’re trying a mixture of Shademaster in the shadiest areas and a newer one called Sir Walter in the slightly more sunny areas, and as the months tick by we’ll let you know how they perform.
Further information
Shademaster and other varieties of Soft Buffalo are readily available. Check with your local turf supplier for details.