Canada Green vs. Ryegrass

Canada Green Mixture

• The seed mixture sold as Canada Green contains several different grass species, including annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum), Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) and red fescue (Festuca rubra). All of these species are cool-season grasses, so they grow especially well in cooler climates. According to the manufacturer, the grass "tolerates extreme temperatures" up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, however, all of these cool-season grasses may struggle in the warmer parts of the American South and West.

Ryegrass

• Ryegrass may be either annual (Lolium multiflorum) or perennial (Lolium perenne); both species do best in the relatively cool climates of U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 and below. Ryegrass is bright green with a medium texture and grows in tight clumps. Ryegrass, especially annual ryegrass, grows quickly and aggressively, so it's often used as a protective cover that will shelter slower-growing species in seed mixtures. Its aggressive growth can crowd out other grasses, though, so it shouldn't make up more than 20 percent of any mixture.

Kentucky Bluegrass

• Kentucky bluegrass, another component of the Canada Green mixture, is also a cool-season grass that performs best in USDA zones 2 to 7. It is deep green and has a finer texture than ryegrass, and it spreads via underground rhizomes to form a dense mat. It is slower to germinate than ryegrass and doesn't grow as quickly. Kentucky bluegrass is typically more drought tolerant than ryegrass, although it may go dormant and lose color during dry spells.

Red Fescue

• Red fescue, the third component of the Canada Green mixture, is a fine-textured grass with dark green leaves. Like Kentucky bluegrass, it does best in USDA zones 2 to 7. Creeping red fescue spreads via rhizomes like Kentucky bluegrass; other types of red fescue form clumps like ryegrass. It is more tolerant of shade than Kentucky bluegrass, so it's often used in seed mixtures along with bluegrass in order to make the turf better able to survive in shady locations. Fescue is relatively fragile compared to ryegrass and doesn't hold up to heavy traffic nearly as well as ryegrass turf.