![\"a](\"https://wp.wikilawn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/9518319219_495c9ab151_o-1.jpg\")
After visiting the art galleries in The Historic Third Ward, you may want to bring some of Milwaukee’s historic charm home with you. While you can’t grab a stage from one of the Third Ward’s theaters, you can set up your yard to reflect the city’s outdoor landscape and the Wisconsin native plants. We’ve found […]
\n","content":"\nAfter visiting the art galleries in The Historic Third Ward, you may want to bring some of Milwaukee’s historic charm home with you. While you can’t grab a stage from one of the Third Ward’s theaters, you can set up your yard to reflect the city’s outdoor landscape and the Wisconsin native plants. We’ve found 9 native plants that thrive in Milwaukee’s short, mild summers and cold winters.
\n\n\n\nIn this article, we’ll cover:
\n\n\n\nPhoto Credit: Joshua Mayer / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0
\n\n\n\nNew England aster is a Milwaukee favorite because it blooms for at least 6 weeks, starting from late summer to late fall. It’s built to withstand the cooler temperatures of southeastern Wisconsin.
\n\n\n\nThis flower will stop you in your tracks with its bright pink-reddish daisy-looking petals. As they droop and close at night or when it’s cloudy, they appear to fall asleep. They awaken by reopening to show off their yellow center when the sun returns.
\n\n\n\nNew England aster can tower to heights of 6 feet, easily signaling to butterflies to come and have some of its nectar. If grown in the right conditions, this plant saves you money by reseeding if not cut back after it flowers.
\n\n\n\nNew England aster thrives well in yards with a lot of sun or just a little shade. It’s usually found growing as a prairie plant. Use this daisy look-alike in butterfly gardens and borders.
\n\n\n\nPlant type: Flower
\n\n\n\nHardiness zones: 4 to 8
\n\n\n\nSun: Full sun, partial shade
\n\n\n\nSoil: Sandy, loamy, clay
\n\n\n\nDuration: Perennial
\n\n\n\nBloom time: Late summer, autumn
\n\n\n\nWater needs: Medium
\n\n\n\nMature height: 3 to 6 feet
\n\n\n\nMaintenance: Medium. May require staking or other support if it grows tall. Pinch back stems before midsummer to control the plant height and produce more flowers.
\n\n\n\n![\"Bee](\"https://wp.wikilawn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Coneflower-Echinacea.jpg\")
Photo Credit: Wallpaper Flare
\n\n\n\nPurple coneflower’s trademark is its double-flower. A bushier, smaller array of smaller petals resembling pom-poms sit atop longer petals.
\n\n\n\nIt’s a contest between which is more striking, the purple coneflower or the New England aster. Both are rich in color. Also called pink double delight because of its pink-purplish double flowers, the purple coneflower is well-adapted to Milwaukee winters. The flower blooms until the first frost.
\n\n\n\nYou’ll see these flowers generously decorating meadows and prairies. They add wonderful excitement to pollinator gardens, wildflower gardens, and borders. If pink is not your favorite color, no worries. The purple coneflower has cultivars that come in many colors and sizes.
\n\n\n\nPurple coneflower is great for homeowners that don’t want to replant every season. Like the New England Aster, the purple coneflower reseeds if the seed heads are not removed.
\n\n\n\nPlant type: Flower
\n\n\n\nUSDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 8
\n\n\n\nSun: Full sun, partial shade
\n\n\n\nSoil: Sandy
\n\n\n\nDuration: Perennial
\n\n\n\nFragrance: Light, sweet, honey-like
\n\n\n\nBloom time: April to September
\n\n\n\nWater needs: Medium
\n\n\n\nMature height: 2 to 5 feet
\n\n\n\nPotential hazards: None
\n\n\n\nMaintenance: Low
\n\n\n\n![\"colorful](\"https://wp.wikilawn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Butterfly-Milkweed.jpg\")
Photo Credit: Eric Hunt / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
\n\n\n\nIf you like bright flowers, the stunning orange petals sprouting from butterfly milkweed’s wide green leaves will be an asset to your garden. On the other hand, if you have children, you may want to stay clear of this plant or use it with caution. This perennial herb, which also goes by the name butterfly weed, is not an herb you want to cook with. It has low poison severity, and all parts are considered poison. It can cause vomiting or spasms if ingested and skin or eye irritation when touched.
\n\n\n\nButterflies, bees, and hummingbirds flock to butterfly milkweed for the nectar. Monarch butterflies depend on milkweed plants for their existence, so you’ll give back to the ecosystem by planting this nonedible herb in your butterfly garden.
\n\n\n\nButterfly milkweed likes to be left alone once planted, so make sure you’re certain when you give it a home. It doesn’t transplant well. Fortunately, it’s pest and disease tolerant and requires little maintenance. It’s a great addition to borders and cottage gardens in yards where small children and pets do not wander into the vegetation.
\n\n\n\nPlant type: Perennial herb
\n\n\n\nUSDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 9
\n\n\n\nSun: Full sun
\n\n\n\nSoil: Clay, loam, sand
\n\n\n\nDuration: Perennial
\n\n\n\nFragrance: Vanilla
\n\n\n\nBloom time: May to September
\n\n\n\nWater needs: Low
\n\n\n\nMature height: 1 to 2 feet
\n\n\n\nPotential hazards: Poisonous to animals and humans if ingested. Possible skin and eye irritant if touched.
\n\n\n\nMaintenance: Low
\n\n\n\n![\"Red](\"https://wp.wikilawn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Red_Columbine_3630187830-1.jpg\")
Photo Credit: Jason Hollinger / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0
\n\n\n\nYou can see why red columbine is also called little lanterns. The red and yellow tubular flowers droop. Sometimes the petals can be found flaring out a little, exposing their yellow stamens. This flower may not be ideal if people tend to discard lit cigarettes on your property. Red columbine is moderately flammable.
\n\n\n\nRed columbine is most at home in soils that remain moist and on properties that get a lot of sun. But it will adapt to partial shade. The flowers come in early spring and only last about a month. But the bright green leaves stay through the summer and make a wonderful groundcover.
\n\n\n\nPlanting these little lanterns allows you to give hummingbirds and other birds a reason to visit. Touching the sap could irritate the skin, so be careful. This plant is easy to grow and a great way to complement a city garden or add some flavor to underplantings for roses and shrubs.
\n\n\n\nPlant Type: Flower
\n\n\n\nUSDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 8
\n\n\n\nSun: Full sun or partial shade
\n\n\n\nSoil: Clay, silt, or sandy soil that’s well-drained, moist, dry-ish
\n\n\n\nDuration: Perennial
\n\n\n\nBloom Time: Spring and summer
\n\n\n\nWater Needs: Weekly or whenever the soil is completely dry
\n\n\n\nMature Height: 1 to 3 feet
\n\n\n\nPotential Hazards: Moderately flammable/risk of fire
\n\n\n\nMaintenance Needs: Low; deadhead blooms as needed, cut back in late summer
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://wp.wikilawn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Showy-Goldenrod.jpg\")
Photo Credit: Dseiver / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
\n\n\n\nShowy goldenrod’s bright yellow cluster of small petals looks optimistically toward the sky. The flower has medium flammability, so it’s best planted away from areas where the barbeque grill is fired up. It works well with other wildflowers and adds sunshine to wildlife gardens, borders, or flower beds.
\n\n\n\nIt’s well-adapted to most soils, so if you have dry or poor soil, showy goldenrod will not let you down. It even self-seeds. The butterflies and birds coming for a nibble are a nice treat for homeowners, but get ready for the bees and beetles it also attracts.
\n\n\n\nPlant type: Flower
\n\n\n\nHardiness zones: 3 to 8
\n\n\n\nSun: Full sun, partial shade
\n\n\n\nSoil: Rocky, clay
\n\n\n\nDuration: Perennial
\n\n\n\nFragrance: Mild
\n\n\n\nBloom Time: July to September
\n\n\n\nWater needs: Low to medium
\n\n\n\nMature height: 1 to 5 feet
\n\n\n\nPotential hazards: Medium flammability
\n\n\n\nMaintenance: Low to Medium; May have to divide it every 2 years for size management.
\n\n\n\n![\"beautiful](\"https://wp.wikilawn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/5992418976_afc9bf5fe7_o-1-1.jpg\")
Photo Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters / Flickr / CC BY 2.0
\n\n\n\nMake sure no one uses this flower as an ashtray, as it’s moderately flammable. Flammability appears to be a theme with many of these native Milwaukee plants. But don’t let that scare you away. This flower makes up for its fire rating with other desirable qualities, like being tolerable to multiple soil types, including poor soil, which is not uncommon in Milwaukee.
\n\n\n\nThe wild bergamot’s essential oil is a natural repellent to certain mosquito species, which is another benefit of this native plant. The lavender tubular flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds. If Bambi and Bugs Bunny like to visit your yard, you’ll appreciate the deer- and rabbit-resistant qualities of wild bergamot.
\n\n\n\nPlant Type: Flower
\n\n\n\nUSDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 9
\n\n\n\nSun: Full sun or partial shade
\n\n\n\nSoil: Shallow, rocky soil or clay that’s moist, well-drained, or dry-ish
\n\n\n\nDuration: Perennial
\n\n\n\nFragrance: Yes; of mint and oregano emitted from foliage
\n\n\n\nBloom Time: Summer
\n\n\n\nWater Needs: Natural rainfall should be sufficient; withstands dry soil for a while
\n\n\n\nMature Height: 2 to 4 feet
\n\n\n\nPotential Hazards: Moderately flammable/risk of fire
\n\n\n\nMaintenance Needs: Low; drought-tolerant, resistant to deer and rabbits
\n\n\n\n![\"A](\"https://wp.wikilawn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Prairie_Blazing_Star_Liatris_pycnostachya_-_9395264385-1.jpg\")
Photo Credit: wackybadger / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0
\n\n\n\nThis flower blooms from the top down. For four weeks or more, these purple, white, or pink fuzzy flowers sit atop tall multi-pronged grass-like leaves. Milwaukee bird lovers love to send these stars blazing in their gardens because they’re easy to grow and maintain, and they feed birds in the winter.
\n\n\n\nBlazing stars are cold, heat, and drought tolerant. Use them as perennial borders or in native gardens. If you’re trying to impress someone who appreciates nature, put some in a dried flower arrangement as a gift. They’ll stand out like a captured shooting star.
\n\n\n\nPlant Type: Flower
\n\n\n\nUSDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 9
\n\n\n\nSun: Full sun or partial shade
\n\n\n\nSoil: Moist clay, silt, or sandy soil that’s well-drained
\n\n\n\nDuration: Perennial
\n\n\n\nFragrance: None
\n\n\n\nBloom Time: Summer
\n\n\n\nWater Needs: Low, does not need additional watering once established
\n\n\n\nMature Height: 1 to 5 feet, depending on species
\n\n\n\nPotential Hazards: N/A
\n\n\n\nMaintenance Needs: Low once established; They require deadheading regularly, which is pruning away seed heads and old growth to allow re-flowering and new growth.
\n\n\n\n![\"A](\"https://wp.wikilawn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Rattlesnakemaster-1-1.jpg\")
Photo Credit: Crazytwoknobs / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0
\n\n\n\nRattlesnake Master has a q-tip looking, ball-shaped appearance at its tip. The white parts stick out like porcupine needles. This perennial forb tends to clump together in clusters when growing.
\n\n\n\nIt’s forgiving of soil type, as it thrives in many types, but it prefers well-drained soil. Rattlesnake master is drought-tolerant, so it should work well in a xeriscape design. It has no known toxic hazards to humans, but it has sharp, spiky leaves, so you may not want to touch it.
\n\n\n\nPlant this evergreen in city gardens, or use it as a border or in your flower garden. This plant gets floppy if grown in too much shade. Unless you want wilted-looking plants, make sure this rattlesnake is placed somewhere with lots of sun.
\n\n\n\nPlant Type: Evergreen wildflower
\n\n\n\nUSDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 9
\n\n\n\nSun: Full sun
\n\n\n\nSoil: Prefers loamy, dry sand and well-drained soil; Adapts well to most soil, including clay and shallow rocky soils
\n\n\n\nDuration: Perennial
\n\n\n\nFragrance: Honey
\n\n\n\nBloom Time: Mid-summer
\n\n\n\nWater Needs: Low once established
\n\n\n\nMature Height: 3 to 5 feet
\n\n\n\nPotential Hazards: None known
\n\n\n\nMaintenance Needs: Low
\n\n\n\n![\"dark](\"https://wp.wikilawn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/American_elderberry_Sambucus_canadensis1.jpg\")
Photo Credit: Rison Thumboor / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
\n\n\n\nYou may already be familiar with the health benefits many attribute to elderberry. Elderberry is an eye-opener with its bright green leaves. It also encourages you to take a deep breath to inhale its lemon-scented white flowers that bloom in the summer.
\n\n\n\nBirds flock to the dark berries. If the birds aren’t stingy, they leave a little of the fruit to be made into jellies and jams. The best part is the elderberry wine that is made from this deciduous shrub. But you must be careful to prepare the plant properly. If ingested uncooked, it can make you sick. This plant is great for hedges and, of course, edible gardens.
\n\n\n\nPlant Type: Deciduous Shrub
\n\n\n\nUSDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 8
\n\n\n\nSun: Full sun or partial shade
\n\n\n\nSoil: Prefers moist, well-drained soils rich in organic matter. Tolerates a wide range of soil types, including sandy and clay soils.
\n\n\n\nDuration: Perennial
\n\n\n\nFragrance: Lemon
\n\n\n\nBloom Time: Summer, typically between June and July
\n\n\n\nWater Needs: Prefers moist soils but once established, tolerates periods of drought
\n\n\n\nMature Height: 12 feet tall, 10 feet wide/
\n\n\n\nPotential Hazards: Uncooked berries and other plant parts contain a chemical that can cause nausea and vomiting
\n\n\n\nMaintenance Needs: Low. Prune in late winter or early spring to maintain its shape.
\n\n\n\nWhile native plants are adapted to the local environment, each plant has its own unique characteristics and needs. Choose plants that thrive best on your property’s conditions and your maintenance schedule. For example, if a plant needs a lot of water and you have no irrigation system and don’t plan on watering it regularly, it’s not the best choice.
\n\n\n\nBe familiar with your property’s soil type. You don’t want to buy plants that thrive best in well-drained soil if your soil tends to retain water. You also want to be mindful of plants that may be harmful to pets or children, if you have any.
\n\n\n\nThe bottom line is that it’s best to choose plants that are well-suited for your yard’s conditions, your availability for upkeep and maintenance, and your family’s composition and lifestyle.
\n\n\n\nThe best time to plant is about six weeks before the hard frost, which is when the temperature is consistently below 28 degrees Fahrenheit. This is usually in September and October.
Native plants help maintain the Milwaukee ecosystem and create a natural habitat and food source for local butterflies, pollinators, insects, birds, and wildlife. Native species are adapted to the city’s climate, so they take less work to maintain and require less water and fertilizer.
Knowing your area’s hardiness zone helps you pick plants that thrive best in that climate. Milwaukee is in southeastern Wisconsin, zone 5. Zones 3 and 4 also make up Wisconsin.
If you’ve been to Lake Park, you’ve seen native plants. Look around you as you’re driving or walking, and you’ll notice the beautiful native greenery and the birds, butterflies, and other wildlife they attract.
\n\n\n\nCheck out these local native plant nurseries in the Milwaukee area recommended by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources:
\n\n\n\nPlant native greenery and watch your yard come alive with color, butterflies, and birds. You don’t have to stop there. Bring even more excitement to your property with other low-maintenance landscaping designs.
\n\n\n\nAnother secret to a low-maintenance yard? Leaving it to the pros. Connect with a local lawn care pro who can mow, trim, edge, and tend to the yard.
\n\n\n\nMain Image Credit: Purple coneflowers / James St. John / Flickr / CC BY 2.0
\n","title":"9 Best Native Plants for Milwaukee","featured_media":{"localFile":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.5037593984962405,"src":"/static/4ab9d124daf2f094c0e5f8af9f53c49a/1789c/38566472155_a9461e5865_k-1.jpg","srcSet":"/static/4ab9d124daf2f094c0e5f8af9f53c49a/107df/38566472155_a9461e5865_k-1.jpg 320w,\n/static/4ab9d124daf2f094c0e5f8af9f53c49a/293e9/38566472155_a9461e5865_k-1.jpg 500w,\n/static/4ab9d124daf2f094c0e5f8af9f53c49a/f2cbb/38566472155_a9461e5865_k-1.jpg 800w,\n/static/4ab9d124daf2f094c0e5f8af9f53c49a/1789c/38566472155_a9461e5865_k-1.jpg 960w,\n/static/4ab9d124daf2f094c0e5f8af9f53c49a/c26c2/38566472155_a9461e5865_k-1.jpg 1200w","srcWebp":"/static/4ab9d124daf2f094c0e5f8af9f53c49a/1dd6e/38566472155_a9461e5865_k-1.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/4ab9d124daf2f094c0e5f8af9f53c49a/67b76/38566472155_a9461e5865_k-1.webp 320w,\n/static/4ab9d124daf2f094c0e5f8af9f53c49a/8df11/38566472155_a9461e5865_k-1.webp 500w,\n/static/4ab9d124daf2f094c0e5f8af9f53c49a/98a65/38566472155_a9461e5865_k-1.webp 800w,\n/static/4ab9d124daf2f094c0e5f8af9f53c49a/1dd6e/38566472155_a9461e5865_k-1.webp 960w,\n/static/4ab9d124daf2f094c0e5f8af9f53c49a/3cc96/38566472155_a9461e5865_k-1.webp 1200w","sizes":"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px"}}}},"yoast_meta":{"yoast_wpseo_title":"9 Best Native Plants for Milwaukee | Wikilawn","yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Check out the best native plants for Milwaukee to find plants that thrive in the city’s climate, plus information on where to buy native plants locally."}}},{"node":{"id":"51baf8a4-43de-5e29-844c-efcfb910aeb7","slug":"best-lawn-types-milwaukee","path":"/lawn-care/wi/milwaukee/best-lawn-types-milwaukee/","status":"publish","template":"","format":"standard","author":{"description":"LaShonda Tucker is a freelance writer, poet, and spoken word artist in Atlanta. She earned her masters from the University of Georgia and enjoys playing her violin.","name":"LaShonda Tucker","id":"f7fdb6d3-a89a-5295-963a-aac47afa7cee","path":"/author/lashonda-tucker/","avatar_urls":{"wordpress_96":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ce61747b62dbfb82f56a8611f2835988?s=96&d=mm&r=g"}},"categories":[{"id":"205f24d4-c1e5-5728-bb28-8ba70eecbc7a","name":"Lawn Care","count":432,"path":"/category/lawn-care/"},{"id":"b1cda10d-ab68-5c45-b93c-b382b813fb0e","name":"Milwaukee","count":2,"path":"/category/lawn-care/wi/milwaukee/"},{"id":"9503671f-e071-545d-b382-450feba6b3a6","name":"Wisconsin","count":7,"path":"/category/lawn-care/wi/"}],"date":"July 29th, 2022","excerpt":"After walking across the grass at Lake Park or enjoying the Oak Leaf Trail, you may want to take some of that natural green beauty home with you. We’ve made it easy for you to invite Milwaukee’s organic greenery into your personal space. We highlight the 4 best grass types for Milwaukee’s multiple months of […]
\n","content":"\nAfter walking across the grass at Lake Park or enjoying the Oak Leaf Trail, you may want to take some of that natural green beauty home with you. We’ve made it easy for you to invite Milwaukee’s organic greenery into your personal space. We highlight the 4 best grass types for Milwaukee’s multiple months of shady skies, cool temperatures, and freezing winters.
\n\n\n\nWhether you’re starting a new lawn or improving an existing one, you have two categories of grass to choose from: warm-season and cool-season. Cool-season grasses are the best selection for the Milwaukee area.
\n\n\n\nWarm-season grasses green up and grow when the weather is warm, which is between late spring and early summer. Cool-season grasses green up sooner in spring than warm-season grasses and retain their green color longer in Milwaukee. Cool-season grasses thrive best when air temperatures are between 60 and 75 degrees. Warm-season grasses go brown and dormant in the winter, while cool-season grasses go dormant later in the winter than warm-season grasses.
\n\n\n\nCool-season grasses were built for the Milwaukee climate, where temperatures are usually between 18 and 81 degrees Fahrenheit. The grass survives Milwaukee’s below 40-degree winter cold. Since cool-season grass goes dormant when the weather is consistently below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, it may retain its colors through part of the Milwaukee winter.
\n\n\n\nHere are the four best types of cool-season grass for your Milwaukee home:
\n\n\n\n![\"Backyard](\"https://wp.wikilawn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/kentucky-bluegrass-yard.jpeg\")
Photo Credit: Brenda Ryan / Wikilawn
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nKentucky bluegrass is the most commonly used grass in Wisconsin lawns. It’s great for lawns with dead spots because it expands and develops new grass to cover up unsightly bald patches. Although it goes brown faster than most other grass varieties during a drought, Kentucky bluegrass can stay alive for up to 60 days in this condition.
\n\n\n\nKentucky bluegrass has a strong dark green color and lives for the moist, cool weather of Milwaukee. It requires a lot of maintenance, but it helps prevent erosion. If you don’t mind the high fertilizer needs, and enjoy the exercise from mowing, Kentucky bluegrass will work well for your home.
\n\n\n\nThe long months of cloudy Milwaukee skies are probably more than enough shade for this grass, as it has moderate shade tolerance. This variety grows best on properties that get a lot of sun. With its moderate foot traffic tolerance and soft texture, Kentucky bluegrass is a good option for outdoor events.
\n\n\n\nKentucky bluegrass is more tolerant of the snow mold that is sometimes found on Wisconsin lawns than tall fescue and perennial ryegrass, but not as resistant as fine fescue.
\n\n\n\nClassification: Cool-season grass
\n\n\n\nSpreads by: Rhizomes
\n\n\n\nShade tolerance: Low
\n\n\n\nDrought tolerance: Moderate
\n\n\n\nFoot traffic tolerance: Moderate
\n\n\n\nMaintenance needs: Moderate mowing frequency and high fertilization needs.
\n\n\n\nMowing height: Set mowing height between 2.5 and 3.5 inches.
\n\n\n\nPotential for disease: Moderate to high; prone to several diseases, such as dollar spot, leaf spot, necrotic ring spot, summer patch, and stripe smut.
\n\n\n\nSoil pH: 6-7.5
\n\n\n\nSoil type: Performs best in well-drained, heavy soils with high fertility.
\n\n\n\nOther notes: Used in most pastures in the northeastern part of the country because it tolerates heavy grazing. Varieties developed for lawn use need more watering, dethatching, and fertilization than varieties used for animal feeding.
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://wp.wikilawn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Red-Fescue-a-species-of-fine-fescue.jpg\")
Photo Credit: Matt Lavin / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFine fescue is a great choice to stand up against the Milwaukee snow. Fine fescue is more resistant to snow mold than Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, and perennial ryegrass. For the most tolerant variety, use hard fescue. Sheep fescue and red fescue are moderately tolerant, while chewings fescue will leave your lawn vulnerable to the gray and pink snow mold that have historically damaged Milwaukee lawns.
\n\n\n\nSince it’s the most shade-tolerant cool-season grass, it will grow better on properties with a lot of trees or buildings blocking the sunlight than most other cool-season grasses.
\n\n\n\nFine fescue is often found blended with other grasses and is a good choice for lawns with areas that need reseeding. But your yard may appear a little multicolored, as fine fescue can have a green color lighter than other grasses, and even has a blueish-greenish look.
\n\n\n\nFine fescue has a soft texture, but low to moderate traffic tolerance. It’s not the best grass for regular badminton games even though it provides a soft cushion for falls. The tradeoff is that it’s low maintenance. If you need a lawn that looks well-kept and manicured without a lot of work, and you don’t have a lot of activity in your yard, fine fescue grass is well-suited for your Milwaukee home.
\n\n\n\nClassification: Cool-season grass
\n\n\n\nSpreads by: Creeping red fescue spreads by rhizomes, while other fine fescues are bunch-type grasses, such as chewing, hard, and sheep fescues.
\n\n\n\nShade tolerance: Moderate to High, depending on species
\n\n\n\nDrought tolerance: Moderate to High, depending on species
\n\n\n\nFoot traffic tolerance: Low to Moderate, depending on species
\n\n\n\nMaintenance needs: Low fertilizer and mowing needs.
\n\n\n\nMowing height: Set mowing height between 2.5 and 4.0 inches, depending on species.
\n\n\n\nPotential for disease: Moderate. Common diseases include red thread, leaf spot, dollar spot, summer patch, and powdery mildew.
\n\n\n\nSoil pH: 6-6.5
\n\n\n\nSoil type: Will not perform well in wet soil conditions. Prefers drier soils and tolerates a wide range of soil types and fertility.
\n\n\n\nOther notes: Fine fescue is prone to thatch. It may require dethatching every few years. Chewings is the most shade-tolerant fine fescue species but the most susceptible to snow mold.
\n\n\n\n![\"closeup](\"https://wp.wikilawn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Perennial-Ryegrass.jpg\")
Photo Credit: Dr Mary Gillham Archive Project / Flickr / CC BY 2.0
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nHomeowners love to mix this grass because it germinates quickly and produces a full, green canvas. This quick growth is ideal for the short Milwaukee summers.
\n\n\n\nPerennial ryegrass has a low tolerance to heat, cold, and drought, but works well with other grasses that are adapted to the cold, like Kentucky bluegrass. It’s recommended that perennial ryegrass is combined with other grasses and not used predominantly.
\n\n\n\nAlthough perennial ryegrass prefers soil with good drainage, it tolerates some poor drainage, making it a good choice for the Milwaukee area. Milwaukee soil ranges from being poorly drained to well-drained.
\n\n\n\nPerennial ryegrass has moderate maintenance needs. It requires less mowing than tall fescue and is more tolerant to traffic than any of the other three types of grass. It’s perfect for homeowners who love to throw weekly lawn parties or host outdoor play dates regularly. This is the grass for back-to-back hide-and-seek games. It doesn’t tolerate the shade well, so if your yard is usually a host to the sun’s rays, perennial ryegrass is a good selection.
\n\n\n\nClassification: Cool-season grass
\n\n\n\nSpreads by: Has a bunch-type growth habit
\n\n\n\nShade tolerance: Low
\n\n\n\nDrought tolerance: Low
\n\n\n\nFoot traffic tolerance: High
\n\n\n\nMaintenance needs: Moderate mowing and fertilization requirements. Thatch is not significant.
\n\n\n\nMowing height: Set mowing height to 1.5 to 2.5 inches
\n\n\n\nPotential for disease: High. Common diseases include gray leaf spot, red thread, and leaf spot/melting-out.
\n\n\n\nSoil pH: Can grow in soils with a pH between 5 and 8, but prefers between 6 and 7.
\n\n\n\nSoil type: Prefers good drainage and fertility, but can tolerate some poor drainage.
\n\n\n\nOther notes: Mix with Kentucky bluegrass for a more disease-resistant and traffic-resistant lawn.
\n\n\n\nThe wide leaves of tall fescue grass may lead many to mistake it for weeds. It’s cold and shade-tolerant, and the most heat tolerant of all the cool-season grasses. It grows slower than perennial ryegrass, so if you’re looking to establish a lawn more quickly, a blend of perennial ryegrass and one of the other grasses would be better.
\n\n\n\nWhen other grasses are losing their color in winter, tall fescue remains green for longer. This makes it an ideal choice for Milwaukans that like a little green peaking out beneath frosted grass and snow. It’s also a good choice if you need a reason to work in the yard regularly, as it requires frequent mowing.
\n\n\n\nWith its coarse texture, moderate foot traffic tolerance, and tendency to slowly recover from damage, tall fescue is not the best choice for yards full of children playing.
\n\n\n\nClassification: Cool-season grass
\n\n\n\nSpreads by: Produces short rhizomes but has a bunch-type growth habit
\n\n\n\nShade tolerance: Moderate
\n\n\n\nDrought tolerance: Moderate to High
\n\n\n\nFoot traffic tolerance: Moderate
\n\n\n\nMaintenance needs: Frequent mowing. Does not produce significant thatch.
\n\n\n\nMowing height: Set mowing height to 2 inches when the grass reaches 3 inches tall.
\n\n\n\nPotential for disease: Tolerant of most diseases when properly maintained.
\n\n\n\nSoil pH: 5.5-6.5
\n\n\n\nSoil type: Adapted to a wide range of soil conditions, but prefers fertile clay soils with good drainage.
\n\n\n\nOther notes: Remains green during the winter, depending on the variety. Grows slower than perennial ryegrass.
\n\n\n\nThe best time to plant grass seed is between mid-August to mid-September. The warm soil and cooler air temperatures during this time of year help with seed growth. This gives the seed several months to germinate before the cold winter temperatures.
Cool-season grasses go dormant when the soil temperature stays below 45 degrees Fahrenheit consistently. They also go dormant during the summer if it is dry too long or gets too hot. Watering the grass in the summer helps prevent it from going into dormancy and, fortunately, Milwaukee doesn’t get extremely hot.
Fine fescue grasses are low-maintenance. This drought-resistant grass has less mowing, fertilization, and watering needs than other cool-season grasses.
Each type of grass has its own tolerances and conditions for the best growth. Look for a grass type that fits your yard’s properties and your lifestyle. If your lawn has a lot of trees or buildings casting a lot of shade, you’ll want grass that tolerates the shade, such as fine fescue. If you’re prone to experiencing snow mold on your lawn, which can be severely damaging, choose a fine fescue variety like hard fescue.
\n\n\n\nYour soil type, foot traffic, and how much time you want to spend taking care of your lawn all factor into the decision of which type of grass to select. If you’re the house in the neighborhood where children are routinely playing a game of tag, perennial ryegrass is your best choice.
\n\n\n\nPick a grass type that allows you to enjoy the theaters and art galleries in the Historic Third Ward for as long as you desire. That may mean picking a low-maintenance grass and staying away from one that requires frequent mowing and high fertilization, like Kentucky bluegrass.
\n\n\n\nCall a Milwaukee lawn care professional to get help maintaining a green and thriving lawn.
\n\n\n\nMain Photo Credit: Hilda and Gustav Pabst House / Lightburst / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
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