Supina bluegrass (Poa supina)
Poa supina, commonly known as Supina bluegrass, belongs to the Poaceae family. It grows all over Europe, ranging from Morrocco to the arctic regions of the Nordics. It is commonly used for golfing greens and athletic fields, particularly in the USA.
Text by Matthew Dalling, all photos by Jouko Rikkinen.
Danish: lav rapgræs – Finnish: juurtonurmikka – Norwegian: veirapp – Swedish: trampgröe
Supina bluegrass (Poa supina) is native to Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden and the European Alps, but due to its commercial applications, has become widespread across the globe. Interest in Supina bluegrass first arose in Germany and Austria, where it was observed invading and establishing itself on high altitude golf courses. Nowadays, Supina bluegrass is commercially bred and sold in Europe and the US. It is commonly used for golf courses, athletic fields and occasionally lawns.
Supina bluegrass is a versatile and hardy grass species. While generally preferring slightly acidic soil, it can tolerate a variety of pH. Supina bluegrass shows excellent wear tolerance, making it suitable for high-traffic environments. In addition, Supina bluegrass can thrive much better in dense shade compared to other grass species. These traits make it an attractive choice for commercial applications, like golf courses and athletic fields.
Companies and breeders continue to use Supina bluegrass commercially, breeding for desirable traits like deep shade tolerance and low water consumption. It is important to preserve traits found in native Supina bluegrass populations to preserve diversity within the species. The threat status of Supina bluegrass is yet to be assessed by the IUCN red list, but genetic diversity should be conserved regardless of the official threat status.
