fbpx
happy lady breathing fresh air
 
 

What is the best grass for people with grass allergies or Hay Fever?

Spring

Are you 1 in 5 of the Australians that experience Hay Fever? Our team at Golden Finch Lawns want you to be able to go outside and really enjoy your lawn. We’ve done the research for you and have some suggestions for those who have hay fever or grass allergies.

Getting to the root of what causes Hay Fever and Grass Allergies

The most common cause of Hay Fever and grass allergies is not the grass leaves itself, but the seeds that the grass shoots into the air. These are more often released by grasses that ‘clump’. All of our varieties are ‘runner’ types that still can release seeds but only do so under stress.

By maintaining your grass according to the instructions provided, these grass types will produce less or no seed heads at all.

Left: Clumping Grass | Right: Grass Runners

The best grass types for Hay Fever Sufferers

Oakridge Kikuyu

The best thing about our Kikuyu is that it is bred sterile. This alone makes it exceptional to those with hay fever as it produces zero seed heads. The lack of seed heads also gives it a better overall appearance.

Aside from the benefit of no allergy irritating seed heads, it’s also great in high foot traffic or erosion areas. If you have children or pets that love to make a mess of your yard, this grass type would be a perfect option. 

The Oakridge Kikuyu is a diverse breed that is suitable for all climates in both colour and growth. The Great Dividing Range (Queensland) is a perfect location for Oakridge Kikuyu.Although this grass doesn’t produce seed heads and is fairly hardy, we suggest still maintaining the grass per the instructions on our website to keep it looking stunning.

Oakridge Kikuyu

Golden Buffalo

The Golden Buffalo is beneficial to those allergic and senstive to grass spores as it produces fewer grass heads than most other species. Although Golden Buffalo is not sterile, it will not produce stress-based seed heads if maintained correctly.

This type of Buffalo grass is soft and pleasant to walk on. By having the grass growing close to the ground, less mowing is required. Overall, the Golden Buffalo is a low maintenance breed.

Palmetto Buffalo

Grand Prix Premium Couch

Similar to the Golden Buffalo, the Grand Prix Premium Couch produces fewer seed heads than other species of grass. This breed of Couch is thick and soft, making it even more pleasant to walk on than the Golden Buffalo. It also has an impressive regrowth ability similar to the Oakridge Kikuyu, making it highly suitable for families with kids who like shoe-free time in the backyard.

Grand Prix Premium Couch

For the purposes of achieving our goal of allowing you to enjoy a romp on the grass, of the three species mentioned, we believe the Oakridge Kikuyu is the better choice for you as it never has the opportunity to produce seed heads. Closely followed is the Golden Buffalo and Grand Prix Premium Couch, both ranked together as they still have the ability to produce a small number of seed heads. 

A reminder in closing, a common reason why most ‘runner’ type grasses produce seed heads is due to the stress or inadequate care by the homeowner. 

If you are more inclined towards these two types, hay fever and allergy symptoms shouldn’t show as long as your lawn is at its best possible condition. Luckily, both Grand Prix Premium Couch and Golden Buffalo are both low maintenance breeds.