Red Thread-Resistant Grasses

Ryegrasses

• Perennial ryegrass is a dark green grass with fine to medium texture. Although it tolerates heat, it doesn’t do well in droughts and it doesn’t like the shade. It’s a good grass to use if you have a lot of foot traffic on your lawn. Perennial ryegrass is susceptible to many fungal diseases, including red thread. However, some cultivars are resistant, according to horticulturists at the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension. Resistant cultivars include Birdie II, Citation II, Linn, Pennant, Pippin, Premier and Tara.

Fine-leaf Fescues

• Fine-leaf fescues have narrow leaves and produce dense lawns that are tolerant of drought, shade and low pH. They’re a good grass to use if you don’t want to spend a lot of time on maintenance, but they don’t do well in hot, humid climates. Fine fescues are susceptible to several diseases, including red thread, but several cultivars are resistant or moderately resistant. These include Atlanta, Aurora, Bighorn, Dawson, Epsom, Flyer, Reliant, Shadow, Spartan, Weekend and Wintergreen.

Kentucky Bluegrass

• Kentucky bluegrass is a dark green grass with fine to medium texture and a high tolerance for cold temperatures and wear. It prefers the sun and is moderately tolerant of heat and drought. Cultivars that are resistant to red thread include Adelphi, A-20, Baron, Bonnieblue, Geronimo, Majestic, Monopoly, Nugget, Plush, Touchdown and Victa.

Warm-season Grasses

• Although cool-season grasses are more susceptible to red thread, some warm-season grasses, including Bermudagrass and zoysiagrass can also become infected with this disease. Choose St. Augustinegrass, centipedegrass or Buffalograss if you don’t want to worry about red thread fungus. St. Augustinegrass is a coarse-leaf grass that grows well in sunny or shady locations. It’s not very resistant to wear, but the Raleigh cultivar has a good resistance to disease.

  Centipedegrass is a light green grass that also has a coarse texture. It needs very little mowing, so it’s a good choice if you don’t want to spend time on maintenance. However, it’s not tolerant of compaction, traffic, drought or large amounts of thatch. Buffalograss is a fine-textured grass that can get by on as little as 1 inch of water during the summer. It also doesn’t need much maintenance.