When your friend asks you to describe a buffalo grass, what is your immediate reaction? You might respond in this manner, “It is a lawn grass”. A higher coincidence would also be that you might also respond in this manner, “It is used for medicinal purposes”. Your reply would naturally depend on your interests – alternative medicine or landscaping… Is the same type of grass being mentioned for landscaping purposes and medicinal purposes? A deeper understanding on the “buffalo grass” happens when one knows what its appearance is. There are actually quite a number of varieties that are called by the same terminology, however we would be zeroing in on the most popular ones for purposes which easily comes to mind. The different “buffalo grass” varieties are further examined below in this short informative write-up.
Alfalfa and Buffalo Grass
Did you know that alfalfa is also called as buffalo grass or Chilean clover? Western herbal medicine experts have highly regarded alfalfa to have the natural capacity to assist cardiovascular health, to assist in stroke prevention, and to regulate the cholesterol level by bringing down the bad cholesterol. Warning – never include the sprouts of the alfalfa when brewing up different infusions. It might result in considerable digestive discomforts. Nursing or pregnant women must never consume alfalfa. Significant amount of precaution is a must for in rare occurrences, e-coli and salmonella can be found in alfalfa.
Sweet grass or manna grass is also called as buffalo grass. This is also regarded by the American Indian folk medicine as valuable for the remedy of chapping and windburns. The valued fragrance of this grass is a common ingredient for the production of sacred incense. When processed well, it can be made into different decorative products such as decorative braids and mats.
Varieties of Buffalo Grass
Out of sheer coincidence, there are also two varieties of buffalo grass for lawn purposes – the thicker variety (St. Augustinegrass) and the thinner variety (turf type prairie grass). Both are heat resistant and are drought resistant too. TheSt. Augustinegrass thrives best in tropical climates and has been a global phenomenon in landscaping. It has the capacity to incredibly almost permanently hamper weed growth and fully carpet your lawn. Maintenance is very easy and it is usually defiant to the dreaded dog pee; unlike some lawns that leave a brown spot which happens when your beloved canine friend chooses a certain part of the lawn for his favorite “urine throne”. The same quality is to be expected from the turf-type prairie grass.
Growing the medicinal types of buffalo grass is like child’s play since basic gardening skills are enough for the plant to thrive. Thus, waiting for when the plant will be mature enough for concoction would be the most challenging part on the alfalfa and sweet grass grower. Buffalo grass seed are way better than Bermuda grass.
However, one needs to be brave enough in carpeting the outdoor space with buffalo grass. Weeds will never disappear. Frequent weeding should be done on a weekly basis for the very young plant. Weeds grow faster and can be suffocating. Muster enough courage and invest your precious time for the young grass for when the seedlings have been deeply rooted and once the wonderful carpet of green is established – they will threaten the weeds. Back with a vengeance! They are similar to human beings, extreme care is demanded on the early stages of life, but after reaching maturity, independence steps in. Lawn mowing and proper watering would most probably the only chores your buffalo grass will need.