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The only time I have ever seen the grass be anything other then green is in summer during prolonged dry/hot periods.
Whether grass is green in winter has more to do with the type of grass than just climate. The UK has cool weather grass. Cool weather grass stays green in winter, but in the US would brown in summer.
There is only one grass native to the US and it is Buffalo grass. Buffalo grass, think of the Great Plains, turns brown with the first frost in fall, but remains lush green in summer and is drought tolerant as it evolved that way. Growing grass in the UK is much easier than growing grass in the US. Cool season grasses are easier to grow than warm season, and the UK has only cool season grasses. Cool season grasses stay green all winter, even in the US. Below are excerpts from various ag and lawncare sites:
"Growing grass in warm weather zones can be fairly tricky and is certainly more difficult than grass in cool weather zones."
Probably why grass in Atlanta is brown in winter;
"The areas that include Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, and Missouri are generally best suited to cool weather grasses while Tennessee, North Carolina, northern Georgia, northern Alabama, and the Texas panhandle struggle with most grasses..... "
This from a lawncare website here in the US:
"In my zone 7 garden I grow the warm season grass called zoysia Cavalier'. Similar to Bermunda and St. Augustine it stays green all summer, but goes dormant in winter. This year I've decided to try my hand at overseeding my lawn with a cool season grass such as fescue, rye or bluegrass. These types of grasses will stay green throughout winter and well into spring. If you live a cooler climate, these grasses will stay green for you all year round."
And another agric site:
During winter, some of these grasses may brown off and not regain their green color until mid spring. If you select a grass type that does brown off in winter, try to oversew with one of the Rye’s recommended for the cool weather. They will provide a green top coat during winter but die back in summer allowing the warm weather grasses to take over again.
Looks can be deceiving. If you see Atlanta with brown lawns certainly doesn't me it has the same climate as Minnesota.
That sounds a bit surprising to me if it were the case, considering the diversity of climates in the US and the size of the country. It's hard to believe that it's just one, in all the meadows, prairies, fields, before any other grasses from other regions were brought over. Maybe one type of lawn grass?
Looking out right now broadly, lawns and fields are brown, dried and dead, but if I look closely there are individual greenish blades here and there, even if dull green.
There have been a fair number of above-freezing highs this winter, and I think during thaws there might be some growth. Just like how sometimes I notice if the ground isn't fully frozen (there's wet or boggy soil) small greenish weeds it seems can sprout (may the urban heat island helps too?), lol... that kind of thing is being overly detail observant.
That sounds a bit surprising to me if it were the case, considering the diversity of climates in the US and the size of the country. It's hard to believe that it's just one, in all the meadows, prairies, fields, before any other grasses from other regions were brought over. Maybe one type of lawn grass?
What I meant to say is that most common grass in the US is not native to the US.
I've should have been more specific. Buffalo is the "most common" native grass, but is not common for lawns.
I've should have been more specific. Buffalo is the "most common" native grass.
Ah, I actually read your link again and realized they one line in the text said "Buffalo grass is the only true native grass used for lawns.", which makes a little more sense now. (ie. there must be a lot more grasses that are not lawn grasses, such as tufted, bunch grasses like California fescue etc.)
How can you say Atlanta is prone to more arctic air than Seattle? Have you seen the vegetation and wildlife in Seattle? Atlanta has a variety of palms that in some cases are decades old along with live oaks and magnolias which are indigenous to the state it is located in. Alligators are found with in a 100 mile proximity along with Spanish moss and native yellow pines. None of this could survive in Oregon even where temps don't rise above 60 for three to four months. Yes, Atlanta expirences arctic fronts which are usually short lived and brings temps to the teens on average once very two to three years. As is the same with Florida down to Miami. Subzero temps have happened 5 times at most. If you haven't exp more than two winters in Atlanta you can not speak on the subject. I find it to be much more moderate than other locals such as Dallas and Memphis and frozen precip is less of a threat here as well. Do not forget atl is subject to very mild winters as frequent as a what would most consider a cool winter where temps reach 60 on a regular basis and even upper 70s as in the present winter we are having currently. Infancy here we are in mid feb and we have recorded 17 frosts and freezes on Avg with a typical winter of central Florida. Atl exp variations on diff years like any other southern city. Summers are much more bearable speaking strictly temperature wise than areas west of the Mississippi. A triple digit reading in Atlanta does not regularly occur the humidity gives the impression that it is hotter than it really is. I've heard this before 80 in Atlanta feels worse than 110 in Phoenix
I'm not sure where Seattle came from in this thread, but yes Seattle is less prone to Arctic air than Atlanta, though I agree Atlanta supports more subtropical vegetation.
Number of days that reach 32°F or below in an average year:
Atlanta: 44.8
Seattle: 33.3
Median date of first and last frost (32.5°F):
Atlanta: Nov-12/Mar-23
Seattle: Nov-11/Mar-19
Difference is small there, but Atlanta typically reaches colder temperatures (Atlanta has an 60% of reaching below 20°F in a winter, Seattle 20%)
Subzero temperatures have never been recorded in Seattle.
And I bet the chances of Atlanta hitting 70 in the winter months are ten times of that Seattle. Has 70 ever been recorded in Seattle in jan or feb? Seattle is always hovering somewhere in the high 30s and 40s while Atlanta will have a high of say 46 and weather be describe as unseasonably cold nearly to the point where the city appears dormant. Which only lasts for two to three days then temps rebound nicely. This is ridiculous there's a reason why snowbirds mass migrate to Atlanta and not Seattle. I'd hate to be wet and cold for five months out of the year I'd rather have a cpl of nights of frosts and freeze here and there followed by spring like weather
Ps its feb 9th and the trees are budding what's happening in Seattle?
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