Myth Demystified
Is Kentucky Bluegrass Always the Best Grass for a High-Traffic Lawn
Demystified By
Expert Name: Adam Thoms
Expert's Take
Kentucky bluegrass is an excellent cool-season grass for lawns that get a lot of foot traffic in northern climates because it is very traffic tolerant and can repair damage from rhizomes (MFY note: underground stems that spread sideways and send up new shoots) but is not always the best solution.
Tall fescue is a great traffic tolerant cool-season grass that does well in heavy clay soils and can tolerate drought better than Kentucky bluegrass. Tall fescue is also a little bit more shade tolerant and would do better if light is limiting and you have heavy foot traffic. Tall fescue is a bunch type grass (MFY note: it grows in clumps rather than spreading) and would be very slow to recover from areas of damage though.
If you live in the southern United States, you would want to consider a warm-season grass such as a hybrid bermudagrass or zoysiagrass. They would tolerate the growing conditions and foot traffic much better in the southern United States than any cool-season grass would.
MFY Notes
When the backyard doubles as a soccer field, the usual move is to grab whichever seed bag promises the toughest lawn, and that’s often a Kentucky bluegrass blend. Adam Thoms explains when that’s the right call and when another grass will hold up better.
To see the grasses he mentions side by side, try our Lawn Grass Comparison tool.