Re: California Native Grass Lawns/Drought tolerant lawns for mediterranean climates

Tim, 

I don't know if you got any good replies to this
query...I would say that spacing of plugs, and mowing
heights for best performance are possibly the key
things that you will need to experiment with.  My
personal feelings about native grass lawns are that it
really depends on what your expectations are as
regards weeding, usability as a play area or as a low
mowed groundcover.  From the standpoint of water
usage, there is no question that it will save water. 
>From the standpoint of replicating the usability of a
rhizomatous turf grass, there is also no comparison,
they don't really have the same functionality.
  
Leaving the subject of the specific species you are
interested in, and talking more generally about less
water intensive alternatives to the typical turf
grasses used in California, I do have some rahter
strong opinions that run counter to most everyone
else.  I tend to favor weedy, introduced grass species
such as Pennisetum clandestinum as a better all round
turf, than the recommended/highly planted sod grasses
such as the tall fescues/Festuca arundinaceae.  In my
experience, they really don't hold up as a truly low
water using grass in coastal California.

I do have experience in my own garden with a non grass
native species which can be mown, walked on, fills in
quickly if planted at a 3~4 inch spacing, and has
proven itself adaptable in both sun and shade, regular
or infrequent irrigation, and resisted weeds once it
has filled in.  If allowed to grown unclipped, it will
self sow as well, and reach a height of 12 to 18
inches tall by wide.  It is locally endemic to creeks
here in the Berkeley Hills, and is Berkeley
Sedge/Carex tumlicola.  I have not tried in in a
really large lawn area, however, but only in an
approximately 50 square foot area.  If kept trimmed
about every two months, it looks very much like dwarf
Mondo Grass.  One of the virtues of this planting is
that it requires much less mowing than a normal lawn,
and grows equally well in full sun or deep shade here
in coastal California, with much or little water, and
deep shade or full sun.  It does require rather close
planting, however, to keep out other weeds from
getting a toe hold.

I think that you will find that weeding is the biggest
constraint to an all native grass lawn composed of
bunch grasses.  Elimination of weed seed banks prior
to planting, and regular sustained efforts to weed out
interlopers will also be required, especially if you
live nearby to sources of blown in seed such as
dandelions, bermuda grass, etc. as  bunch type grasses
 do not completely fill in between plugs, and provide
an ideal niche for weed seeds.

I have yet to see a native California grass lawn which
serves to duplicate the walk on, relatively low
maintenance(at least as it pertains to weeding),
characteristics of a typical rhizome forming lawn.  I
suspect that Buffalo grass/Buchloe dactyloides
sods/seed mixes are more successful in California if
you need a relatively short growing/low water using
lawn that grows densely enough to avoid regular
weeding.  A subtropical grass that requires next to no
summer water here in coastal California includes
Kikuyu Grass/Pennisetum clandestinum.  I know this is
considered a weed by many, but is much more drought
tolerant than the similar Hybrid Bermuda or St.
Augustine grass lawns,(talking about similarity in
appearance and growth charateristics).  This is
probably the most commonly planted turf in much of the
mediterranean cliamte areas of South Africa, and has
naturalized along the immediate coast of California,
(especially along the Coast highway and railway
tracks).  In mild coastal areas(Sunset zones 17,23,24)
it remains green in winter, and can survive with no
additional water in all of these areas.  I also
appreciate it for its low mowing requirements, as it
can go months without mowing rather than just weeks.  
 

Now if you are after a meadow effect, rather than a
short cropped lawn for active play and use, there are
many local examples.  They are typically more of a
walk through, rather than on them, type of plantings,
and more "wild" looking.  The meadows at the native
plant section in Strybing Arboretum, San Francisco,
the wildflower central meadow at the Santa Barbara
Botanic Garden, or the Festuca california plantings at
both UC Berkeley Botanic Garden and Tilden Botanic
Garden would be good examples to look at.  The
combination of flowering wildflowers such as Lupines,
Godetias, Clarkias, Sysinchriums, Sidalceas, and
Escholtzias also work well with such bunch grasses.

Good luck with your project, keep us informed of how
it goes after planting it.  I wouldn't try it for a
client's garden either, as I think the maintenance
issues would be self defeating in the long run, but
like you, I think it is worth trying out in one's own
garden, especially if water rationing comes back into
play, I would consider ripping out my small 12' by 16'
front lawn of Tall Fescue sod, which has mostly
reverted to annual Blue Grass after 11 years, due to
all the shade and root competition of the Morus alba
street tree.  This small lawn requires at least weekly
watering to stay green in summer, while my across the
street neighbor's lawn(full sun) of Kikuyu Grass
remains green with no water at all...  I have also
been considering replacing this lawn with Zoysia, but
am unsure whether it would really be any more drought
tolerant than Festuca arundinacea/Tall Fescue.   


--- Gayle Kalman <dragonfly67@earthlink.net> wrote:
> Dear All,
> 
>      I have always wanted to plant a lawn composed
> entirely of California native grasses.  Not wanting
> to risk failure at a clients expense, I have never
> before tried, until now.  I am currently propagating
> a couple thousand plugs of Festuca idahoensis and
> Koelaria macrantha to replace an old lawn in my
> yard.  Has anyone out there had any experience with
> this?
> 
>      Regards, Tim Kalman
> 


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