Bluegrass, Fescue, Buffalograss or Less Lawn: Choosing a Denver Yard

Quick answer

Kentucky bluegrass is still the most common Denver lawn and the best for heavy play, but it uses the most water. Turf-type tall fescue looks similar and handles drought better. Native buffalograss and blue grama need far less water but are green mainly in summer. Many homeowners keep a smaller lawn where they use it and convert the rest to water-wise planting, often with help from their water provider.

Last updated October 22, 2026

A few decades ago, nearly every yard in the Denver metro got the same treatment: wall-to-wall Kentucky bluegrass and a spray sprinkler system. Today the question homeowners ask is different. Watering rules have tightened, drought years keep coming, water bills have risen, and many utilities now pay customers to remove turf. This guide walks through the main lawn options for the Front Range, when replacing lawn makes sense, and how to do either well.

Start with how you use the yard

Before choosing a grass, decide where you actually need lawn. Kids and dogs need a durable play surface. A lawn you only see from the street, a narrow side yard or a steep slope is often doing very little for you while using a lot of water. Colorado State University Extension frames lawn selection the same way: start with how the turf will be used and how much water, fertilizer and care it will get. Walk the yard and sort it into three kinds of spaces:

Use areas where people play, sit or walk regularly. These are the best case for turf.
Look areas that are mostly seen, not used. These are good candidates for planting beds or a lower-water grass.
Problem areas such as slopes, strips along driveways, deep shade or spots right against the foundation. Turf usually struggles here, and spray irrigation can harm foundations on expansive soil.

Kentucky bluegrass

CSU Extension calls Kentucky bluegrass the most widely used lawn grass in Colorado. It forms a dense, soft lawn, spreads by underground rhizomes so it repairs itself, and good-quality bluegrass sod is grown in the state. It is a cool-season grass, so it is green from spring into late fall and slows down in midsummer heat. Its drawback is water. To stay green through a Denver July it needs regular irrigation, and during drought it may go dormant and brown. A bluegrass lawn can often recover from short-term dormancy when cooler weather and water return, but long, dry stretches can kill turf.

If you keep bluegrass, mow it on the taller side, aerate compacted clay, water deeply on your allowed days rather than lightly every day, and seed thin spots in late August or early September, the window CSU Extension recommends.

Turf-type tall fescue

Tall fescue is the closest substitute for bluegrass. Many homeowners can't tell them apart at a glance. Larimer County Extension demonstration plots have found that tall fescue survives drought longer and recovers faster afterward than Kentucky bluegrass. It grows in bunches rather than spreading aggressively, so bare spots may need reseeding. Bluegrass and fescue blends are common in sod and seed.

Buffalograss and blue grama

Buffalograss and blue grama are native warm-season grasses of the high plains. In a CSU Extension ranking of turf species by persistence under low care, both rank at the top. Once established they need much less water and fertilizer than bluegrass and less frequent mowing. The trade-off is color and season: they green up later in spring, are green mainly in summer and turn tan with the first frosts. They also tolerate less shade and less heavy traffic than bluegrass.

A few practical notes from CSU Extension: buffalograss is limited to elevations of about 6,500 feet or lower, which covers most of the metro but not the higher foothills; vegetatively propagated buffalograss (sod or plugs) generally forms the best lawn but costs more than seeded types; and some cultivars are more prone to winterkill. Native grass lawns are best started in late spring or early summer when soil is warm.

Fine fescues and other options

Fine fescues, such as hard, chewings and sheep fescue, tolerate shade and lower inputs and suit areas that don't get much foot traffic. Some homeowners also try clover or mixed low-water lawns. These can work, but ask your installer how they handle Denver's sun, wind and alkaline soil, and whether your HOA has guidance.

When less lawn is the right answer

For many Denver yards, the best plan is a smaller, well-placed lawn plus water-wise planting beds, gravel paths or a patio. Water-wise does not mean rock and cactus. A good Front Range xeriscape uses improved soil, plants grouped by water need, drip irrigation, mulch and a practical amount of turf. It can be full of perennials, shrubs and ornamental grasses that bloom from spring to fall.

Turf replacement programs make conversion more affordable. Denver Water has offered residential customers turf replacement help through a partner organization, along with discounted pre-planned garden kits and native grass seed. Aurora Water runs a Grass Replacement Incentive Program that pays per square foot for converting healthy, irrigated turf, with approval required before installation. Other providers have their own programs. Amounts, application windows and rules change from year to year, so check your provider's current offer before you remove any grass.

What Colorado law says about HOAs and turf

Colorado law generally makes HOA covenants or rules that prohibit xeriscape or drought-tolerant landscaping, or that require turf, unenforceable. Associations can still adopt reasonable design guidelines and require you to submit plans. If you live in a community with an architectural review committee, get the current guidelines first, design to them, and wait for written approval before starting.

A separate state law, Senate Bill 24-005, stops local governments from allowing new nonfunctional turf, artificial turf or invasive plants on commercial, institutional, industrial and HOA common-area property for new development and redevelopment beginning in 2026. It does not apply to individual single-family yards, but you may notice HOA common areas and streetscapes in your neighborhood changing over time.

Preparing Front Range soil

Whatever you plant, soil prep decides how much water it will take. CSU Extension describes many Colorado soils as clay, alkaline and low in organic matter. New-construction lots often have compacted subsoil with little topsoil. Before seeding, sodding or planting:

Remove existing turf and weeds completely.
Get a soil test so you know pH, salts and organic matter. Many Front Range soils are already alkaline, so lime is rarely needed.
Work compost into the top several inches. CSU Extension cautions against adding too much in one year, because some composts and manures are salty.
Grade so water flows away from the house, and keep sprinkler spray and thirsty plants at least five feet from the foundation on expansive soil.
Contact Colorado 811 at least three business days before digging or tilling.

Watering a new lawn or new planting

New sod, seed and plants all need extra water at first, and that is where local rules matter. Denver Water offers a Watering Establishment Permit for new bluegrass seed or sod and a longer period for native grass seed, but during drought it may discourage new sod entirely. Other providers have their own exemptions. Ask before you order sod, and time projects for spring or early fall when establishment takes less water.

A quick comparison

Heavy play, sun, willing to irrigate: Kentucky bluegrass or a bluegrass and fescue blend.
Want a bluegrass look with more drought tolerance: turf-type tall fescue.
Low water, sunny, fine with tan color outside summer: buffalograss or blue grama.
Shade with light traffic: fine fescues or shade-tolerant beds.
Slopes, strips and foundation edges: water-wise planting, mulch or rock instead of turf.

Bottom line

There's no single best grass for Denver. Put turf where you use it, choose the species that fits your sun and water budget, prepare the soil properly, and check your water provider's rules and rebates before you start. A landscape company that knows the Front Range can help you size the lawn, pick the grass and plan the rest of the yard. When you're ready, request a landscaping company or see our sod installation page.

Frequently asked questions

Does buffalograss stay green all year in Denver?

No. Buffalograss is a warm-season native that greens up in late spring, stays green through summer and turns tan after the first frosts. That's the trade-off for its low water needs.

Will Denver Water pay me to remove my lawn?

Denver Water has offered residential turf replacement help through a partner organization, and other providers such as Aurora Water have their own programs. Offers, amounts and deadlines change each year, so check your provider's current program before removing grass.

Is artificial turf a good idea in Denver?

It uses no irrigation, but it gets hot in strong sun, doesn't cool the yard and may not qualify for rebates. Some water providers exclude it from turf replacement programs, so check the rules if you want a rebate.

Sources and further reading

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