Question
what is the difference b/t kentucky bluegrass and other kinds of bluegrass? are they related, and are any of them better? is there a grass superior for lawns to kentucky bluegrass?  thanks!

Answer
The State of Kentucky trademarked its name 15 years ago, causing grass companies to re-name that famous Kentucky Bluegrass or face infringement lawsuits.  Many of the same grasses labeled "Kentucky" Bluegrass in 1990 are simply sold under different names today.

Kentucky Bluegrass does indeed hail from the Bluegrass state, where Lexington region horse farms cultivated grazing pastures that would thrive in its rich, limestone-laced soil.

Their British Isles roots injected a Scotts-Irish accent to Appalachian blues-country style, yielding the distinctive genre of music this region is famous for; likewise, settlers sought a grass cultivar that would achieve the same results as the manicured English lawn they imported. The soil and climate being different - English summers are longer, winters milder - they hit gold with perennial Poa pratensis.

So what exactly is Kentucky Bluegrass?

Explains seed retailer Landscape America (http://www.landscape-america.com/grasses/bluegrass_ky.html): "Kentucky Bluegrass develops a shallow root system that is not very drought tolerant, and causes it to go dormant during extreme conditions. To insure its survivability, it must be given intermittent watering during prolonged drought conditions. Once the drought conditions dissipate, it will come back with a little nourishment and care."

This is a high-maintenance grass.  It needs to be mowed, watered, fed and brightly lit.  And it succumbs to scores of fungi and insect pests when grown in chemical-laced soil.  But for beauty and popularity, no other cool season grass comes close.

"Kentucky 31" is not a Bluegrass.  It's not even a Poa.  This is a Tall Fescue which Landscape America says was discovered growing wild in Kentucky in the 1930s: "It is a versatile plant used for livestock feed, lawns, turf and conservation purposes, and is adapted for a wide range of soil and climatic conditions."  It's thicker and coarser than Kentucky Bluegrass.  But it needs a lot less TLC.

Anyway, what's in a name?

If it's real Kentucky Bluegrass you want, remember: Poa pratensis by any other name is just as thick, green and beautiful.