Natural Lawn Recommendation - Montana

[Wingnutty]

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

 

[treillw]

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!

 

[Dust Rider]

Your best resource would be Montana State University Extension service. Talk to the Ag guys and girls.

 

[Phaseolus]

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.


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Montana State University Cooperative Extension

Edit: Doubled up on Dust Riders Post.