Natural Lawn Recommendation - Montana

Wingnutty

FNG
Joined
Sep 8, 2020
Messages
92
Sheep fescue, Buffalo grass, fairway crested wheatgrass. Those are your best options most likely. If you want more of a bunchgrass look and want wildflowers to do well then sheep fescue is probably best bet. If you want more of a sod, then fairway crested (called that because they often use it in golfcourse fairways.

You list elevation, which isn’t as important to my as precipitation zone. If you are sub 16” (you may or may not be at an elevation of 5000’) then a little bit of supplemental irrigation can help these stands do a lot better. Don’t need to irrigate everyday but once every 10 days or so can make a big difference in maintaining stand quality.

Flowers: you want these species among others but I’d use these as my forb base: prairie coneflower, Lewis flax, western yarrow, Maximilian sunflower, woolly sunflower (if you can find it), small burnet (not a native but an exceptional forb).

Good luck
 
OP
treillw

treillw

WKR
Joined
Mar 31, 2017
Messages
1,933
Location
MT
Sheep fescue, Buffalo grass, fairway crested wheatgrass. Those are your best options most likely. If you want more of a bunchgrass look and want wildflowers to do well then sheep fescue is probably best bet. If you want more of a sod, then fairway crested (called that because they often use it in golfcourse fairways.

You list elevation, which isn’t as important to my as precipitation zone. If you are sub 16” (you may or may not be at an elevation of 5000’) then a little bit of supplemental irrigation can help these stands do a lot better. Don’t need to irrigate everyday but once every 10 days or so can make a big difference in maintaining stand quality.

Flowers: you want these species among others but I’d use these as my forb base: prairie coneflower, Lewis flax, western yarrow, Maximilian sunflower, woolly sunflower (if you can find it), small burnet (not a native but an exceptional forb).

Good luck
Thanks!
 

Phaseolus

WKR
Joined
Feb 25, 2018
Messages
1,266
As mentioned before, your local Conservation District can be a great resource. Often times they have native plants sales and such. Otherwise I’d call a local landscaping outfit.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Montana State University Cooperative Extension

Edit: Doubled up on Dust Riders Post.
 
Last edited:
Top