LISTEN: BYU professor helps to lift ban on hybrid Bermudagrass in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — A breed of grass is now legal in Utah that could reduce your need to water your lawn to only two or three times per summer. 

Greenhouse Show hosts Maria Shilaos and Taun Beddes spoke about the drought resistant grass during their podcast show on July 20. Readers can listen to that episode here. 

Hybrid Bermudagrass can last up to 6 weeks without water — even in triple degree temperatures — according to research from BYU, and it is now legal in the state. The grass has been banned for years because of its close relation to common Bermudagrass, which is considered a noxious weed. But hybrid Bermudagrass is much more fine and cannot spread as easily. BYU professor Bryan Hopkins has been researching this grass for nearly two decades, and helped make it legal in the state.

“They just really didn’t distinguish between the two,” Hopkins said. “And so we asked them to make a distinction … and that’s what they’ve done.”

Hopkins calls it a game changer for conservation.

The benefits of hybrid Bermudagrass

“Even though it’s a warm season grass, it was tolerating our cold climate,” Hopkins said. “And through some research we discovered that it’s a very low water use and it’s got some other great qualities.”

He says the one of the only downsides of this grass is that it turns brown quickly in cooler temperatures.

During a stress test comparing it against other grasses, hybrid Bermudagrass was able to last six weeks unwatered without losing its color. Kentucky Bluegrass, the most common lawn grass, began struggling after only one week.

Hopkins pointed out that making use of this quality could be a better solution to water shortage than eliminating lawns entirely.

Why keeping lawns is important

“It’s important to have grass and you get a lot of people who want to get rid of grass,” Hopkins said. “But the fact is scientifically we know there’s a lot of benefits including reducing the heat island effect and mental health, physical health.”

The green color of lawns and plants is not only pleasant to look at, but it has also shown to help reduce migraines. Planting lawns instead of rockscaping or cement pads also helps reduce high summer temperatures. Similar effects have been seen in cities that keep trees along sidewalks.

Related: Planting trees not only cools down urban centers, they can reduce crime