this post was submitted on 30 Mar 2024
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But... Grass IS native?
Not unless you're European. Bluegrass (despite having a species named after Kentucky), fescue, bermudagrass (which is an invasive species in Bermuda, BTW), etc. all come from Europe.
Kentucky was named the Bluegrass State because it was so invasive that when settlers came into the area, they found the whole state carpeted in it.
Ironically they've just about killed it all. You're more likely to find bluegrass in WV or PA than KY these days.
I'm European. Grass is everywhere and it just grows on its own.
There are different species of grass. Many, many different species. And there are non-native grasses in Europe.
ಠ_ಠ
Alright, you've gotten away with it this time—but you're on thin ice!
So there is no grass in natural environments in America? Then what grows on the ground there?
There are plenty of native grasses that exist, but they are largely overtaken by invasives.
They're also not very suitable for manicured lawns (as opposed to meadows or praries), which is why we imported the European grasses in the first place.
It depends on the variety of grass. There are some low growing ones that are well suited for lawns. The main argument for the European ones is that they take hold and spread much more readily, because they are invasive.
Not turf grass that can survive being mowed to 2" high, no. All our native North American grasses either grow in clumps (e.g. crabgrass) or need to be more than a foot tall.
Also, the natural environment in the eastern half of the US (where most of the population lives) is pretty much 100% forest.
There are native grasses that can be kept as maintained lawns, such as blue grama (although the recommendation is to cut it a little taller, 3-4"). It's not going to be emerald green like Kentucky blue, however if you live in a dry area with watering restrictions your lawn will be the greenest on the block for sure!
That entire page makes no mention of blue grama being resistant to foot traffic, which is half the point of a lawn and therefore an important requirement for turf grass. The omission (in combination with it being mentioned as slow-growing) makes me suspect the worst.
It mentions that you're supposed to be careful not to over water it, but also that you need to water it more often in order for it to form a uniform turf instead of growing in clumps. Sounds kinda fiddly to me.
There are native grasses, obviously, but I suspect this meme is talking about extremely invasive annual grasses.
Grass is a type of plant. Bamboo is a grass, you wouldn't say it's native to the US or to Europe
Actually some bamboo is native to the Americas.
Is cane actually bamboo? I thought it was more like sugar
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arundinaria
Huh, TIL. I stand corrected, I guess.
I suppose I assumed cane and sugar cane were more closely related and I already knew sugar cane wasn't bamboo.
I only learned about US bamboo last year.
But grass IS native! That's the point. Be it bamboo or whatever.
That's not how it works. Grass isn't just one thing. It's a general term for a lot of different plants that may or may not be native.
Do you understand the English language?
Okay but it's a pointless sentence that means very little.
No, bamboo would not be native to Europe. That's like saying "There are rats in Europe. Therefore rodents are native to Europe. Therefore Capybaras are native to Europe".
Capybaras aren't?
Yes that's my point. And bamboo isn't native to Europe either.
Do you understand the English language?
I'm getting the feeling that you dont.
Almost everywhere on earth has a species of grass that is native to it.
The species of grass typically used for North American lawns, isnt native to North America.
Yeah, go back to school.
Sure. You first.
"Poa pratensis commonly known as Kentucky bluegrass (...) [is a] species of grass native to practically all of Europe, North Asia and the mountains of Algeria and Morocco. It is a common and incredibly popular lawn grass in North America (...) despite the fact that it is not native to North America. (...)When found on native grasslands in Canada, for example, it is considered an unwelcome exotic plant, and is indicative of a disturbed and degraded landscape."
Edit: See also - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8074375/