BISON BUFFALOGRASS

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Bison® by Johnston Seed | Grasses

#1084 | Buchloe dactyloides

Summary

Bison buffalograss is a new seeded cultivar of buffalograss, a native to the North American Great Plains. This perennial, warm-season, sod-forming species is well adapted to dry climates and very winter-hardy. With its distinctive dark green color, the low-growing and finely textured grass is an attractive choice for home lawns, athletic fields and recreational areas. Bison reaches a mature height of 5 to 6 inches. Bison buffalograss was cooperatively developed and released by Oklahoma State University and USDA/ARS. Bison is a synthetic variety, derived from the male and female parents of the “Mesa” variety plus a superior plant of each sex selected from a Syn-1 generation planting of the “Texoka” variety.

Plant Characteristics

Taxonomy

Zone

Regional Growing Zone: 3 - Southern Mountain, 4 - Mountain, 5 - Midwest, 6 - Northeast Lakes, 7 - Great Lakes South, 11 - South Texas, 12 - Southwest
USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Temperature Zone: Warm, Cool, Transitional

Plant Characteristics

Height: 5" - 6"
Bloom Period: Early-Summer
Leaf Color: Blue-Green
Growing Cycle: Perennial
Growth Habit: Bunch-Type
Sun Requirement: Full Sun

Plant Information

Planting Season: Spring - Early-Summer
Plant Depth: 0.5"
Minimum Soil Temp for Germination: 60° F
Establishment: Easy

Seed Information

Seed Treatment: Primed
Seeds Per Pound: 40,000

Kingdom: PLANTAE
Subkingdom: TRACHEOBIONTA
Super Division: SPERMATOPHYTA
Division: MAGNOLIOPHYTA
Class: LILIOPSIDA
Subclass: COMMELINIDAE
Order: CYPERALES
Family: POACEAE
Genus: BUCHLOE
Species: BUCHLOE DACTYLOIDES

Coverage Area & Available Sizes

COVERAGE: Turf: 2 to 3 lbs/1000 sq ft or 90 to 120 lbs/acre

AVAILABLE SIZES:

Applications

Lawn

Bison is an attractive and environmentally sensitive lawn grass requiring less fertilization, watering, and mowing than other turf grass. Bison can maintain its turf with only 1 to 2 lbs. of nitrogen per 1000 sq. ft. per season. Mowing frequency can be reduced to once or twice in some cases or not at all depending on the height of the lawn desired. Bison will generally require half the water than other turf grasses use once established.

Pasture & Range

Bison buffalograss is an excellent short grass for pasture and range. Bison’s prostrate growth habit and dense sod allows it to withstand heavy grazing. Research data has indicated Bison equals or exceeds Texoka in forage yield and quality, as measured by in vitro digestible dry matter, crude protein, and acid and neutral detergent fibers.

Conservation, Reclamation & Restoration

Bison buffalograss can provide effective erosion control for highway rightof-ways, waterways, etc. Bison can reduce highway maintenance costs as compared to other sod-forming grasses by decreasing or eliminating mowing.