Heat-Tolerant Grass

Why are some grasses more tolerant of extreme heat than others? This isn’t a science class, so we won’t get too deep into the weeds.

There are two categories of grasses: stoloniferous and rhizomatous. Stoloniferous grasses are more adept at surviving heat than rhizomatous grasses. Stoloniferous grasses grow stolons (grass stems) above and across the soil in a thick, moisture-dense mat while Rhizomatous grasses grow rhizomes (also grass stems) that run underground. Our Sir Walter DNA Certified is only stoloniferous, while our eureka Premium VG Kikuyu and TifTuf Bermuda are both stoloniferous and rhizomatous.

We’ve chosen to stock these particular grass cultivars because we believe they’re the best of the best, offering higher heat resistance than other same-species grasses. To improve their tolerance even more, we acclimate them to local conditions by maturing them on our four Victorian estates. When it’s time to harvest, we cut turf in thick slabs to retain their dense, water-retaining mats and long roots.

Australians take fires deadly seriously. Victorians, especially. We’ve done our best to ensure our grasses are ready to withstand whatever the next summer brings.