Episode 56
If you’re new around here, you might be wondering why you haven’t seen any grass that looks blue. I’m Tom Hailey and this is the Bluegrass Region Voices and Views podcast.
As Kentuckians, it’s good to know the basics about BLUE GRASS.
The scientific name of Bluegrass is poa pratensis. That’s P O A next word P R A T E N S I S and pronounced:
· Poa: “PO-uh”
· pratensis: “PRAH-ten-sis”
This species is native to Europe, Asia, and northern Africa and was introduced to North America by early European settlers. It thrives in fertile, well-drained soils, that are rich in limestone, which made it perfect for this region.
Its bluish-green color is most noticeable in spring, when its buds display a subtle purple hue.
This grass as we see it in mowed lawns and fields does not look blue.
The blue can be seen when this type of grass is in fields that have not been mowed and just at certain times of year and sunlight conditions. The bluish tint comes from the flower heads of the grass when it matures.
To see Kentucky Bluegrass with its characteristic bluish tint, I suggest we visit some of the natural fields and pastures in Central Kentucky during the spring when the grass goes to seed.
You can see these fields at places such as the Horse Park, Keeneland, and Shaker Village.
You can also drive on the Bluegrass Parkway and see some beautiful large fields of Bluegrass. Maybe, at the right time of year and day, we’ll see some blue.
I must admit, I’ve lived around here a long time, and I’ve only seen that blue color a couple of times when I was surveying at a civil engineering company in my early twenties.
Spring is almost here. Here’s a challenge for us. Let’s get our Kentuckian Card punched by getting out around the Bluegrass Region, look for blue grass, and take pictures.
If you send me some photos with a description of where you took the picture and when I’ll post them here on my website.
You can email them to me at thailey1@gmail.com Thanks for listening!
