Where does buffalo grass come from?
Sir Walter DNA certified buffalo grass is Australia’s favourite lawn. It is Australian lawn perfection – a grass that is at once incredibly hardy, super low maintenance, and beautifully soft. It is one of the only grasses that can handle the wildly varied conditions that occur across the continent, and does so with a grace and poise that no other lawn can match.
While the Sir Walter variety was only bred into existence in the 90s, the original buffalo species of grass has a far longer history. Where does it come from? Let’s take a look.
When talking buffalo, there is often a confusion as to which variety of grass is being discussed. Inconveniently, the US refers to the Bouteloua dactyloides species as Buffalo, a native of Canada, the US and Mexico. But this isn’t the species that Australians call Buffalo.
Stenotaphrum secundatum is the species from which Sir Walter was bred, and while we in Australia call it Buffalo, the rest of the world refers to it as St. Augustine Grass or Charleston grass. A grass that isn’t as popular in the US, it’s more suited to hot and tropical areas than its namesake.
St. Augustine Buffalo originated in North America, and is found naturally in many southern US states, throughout Mexico and Central America, and down to South America. Since being domesticated, it has become popular in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, as well as right here in Australia, thanks to its natural resilience to hot, dry environments.
Working from the natural strengths of the species, many cultivars have been bred of the years, including Sir Walter. Some of the most notable include:
‘Captiva’ – A low growing variety requiring almost no mowing, developed in the US in 2007
‘Floratam’ – Developed in 1973 to ward off the St. Augustine Decline (SAD) virus
‘Sapphire’ – Another Australian breed developed to grow quickly
‘Raleigh’ – Far more tolerant to cold than common St. Augustine Buffalo
None of these cultivars, it should be noted, have come close to Sir Walter’s durability and hardiness. For Australian conditions, there is still nothing better.
