Meet Stampede: The Next Generation of Buffalo Grass

Buffalo grass has been a popular choice for Australian lawns for decades. Now, a new generation of buffalo is bringing together some impressive genetics and performance characteristics. Meet Stampede Hybrid Buffalo.

If you're interested in buffalo grass for your next lawn, you've probably come across the usual names. But now, there's a new variety creating plenty of interest.

Stampede Hybrid Buffalo has been developed through advanced hybrid breeding, combining genetics from different buffalo grass types to bring together the most desirable characteristics such as drought tolerance, disease resistance, shade tolerance and strong recovery.

But what does that mean for your lawn?

Let's take a closer look at what makes Stampede different, how it has been tested and how it compares with more traditional buffalo varieties.

What is Stampede Hybrid Buffalo?

Stampede is a new-generation hybrid buffalo grass, developed by bringing together genetics from different buffalo grass types to create a lawn with a strong combination of performance characteristics.

The result is a buffalo selected for qualities that matter in the backyard, including improved winter colour retention, high shade tolerance, strong drought tolerance, disease resistance and good recovery from wear.

In other words, it’s a buffalo designed to look good while also standing up to the challenges of everyday Aussie backyard life.

And there’s some pretty interesting science behind how Stampede was developed too, but we’ll get into that a little later. First, let’s take a closer look at what makes Stampede different.

So, what makes Stampede different?

Stampede brings together a range of characteristics that can make a noticeable difference to how your lawn looks and performs throughout the year.

Greener for Longer

One of Stampede's standout features is its improved winter colour retention.

As temperatures drop, warm season grasses naturally slow down and can lose some of their colour. But Australian trials have shown Stampede maintaining strong turf colour and quality through the cooler months, with performance comparable to or better than established commercial buffalo cultivars in the trial.

For Victorian homeowners, that could mean a lawn that keeps its good looks for longer as the seasons change. And when winter rolls around, that's a pretty handy thing to have.

Made for Sun and Shade

Finding a turf that works across your whole backyard can be tricky when you've got a mix of full sun, filtered light and shaded areas.

Stampede has been selected for high shade tolerance, with testing indicating performance in conditions of up to 75% shade.

That makes it a versatile option for backyards where sunlight isn't evenly distributed, whether you're dealing with established trees, fences or other sources of shade.

Of course, every shaded backyard is different. The type of shade, how much light the lawn receives, drainage and other site conditions can all influence turf performance.

But if your backyard has a few shady spots that make choosing turf a bit tricky, Stampede is certainly one worth having a look at.

Built to Handle Dry Conditions

Stampede also brings strong drought tolerance to the backyard.

In practical terms, this means it can maintain turf quality under dry conditions and recover well when water becomes available again. It has also performed strongly in drought evaluations, ranking third overall in a four-year USDA study that assessed 126 buffalo grass lines across six US states.

That's particularly relevant for Australian lawns, where making the most of available water is an important part of lawn care. Because let's face it, our weather doesn't always make things easy.

Tough Enough for Backyard Life

A lawn isn't just something you look at. It's there to be used.

Stampede has demonstrated strong establishment, vigorous growth, wear tolerance and rapid self-repair, helping it recover from the everyday wear and tear that comes with an active backyard.

Whether it's kids running around, the dog doing laps, a backyard game of footy or a few mates around for the weekend, Stampede is designed to keep up.

Strong Disease Resistance

Another key part of Stampede's story is its natural resilience.

The hybrid was developed by combining genetics from parent plants with desirable characteristics including drought and disease tolerance.

Testing has included two common buffalo diseases, grey leaf spot and take-all root rot, with Stampede demonstrating strong disease tolerance.

In the multi-year US trials, Stampede ranked third overall across the 126 buffalo grass lines assessed for a combination of performance traits.

Yet another tick in the box for a turf that's been selected for performance, not just good looks.

Backed by Science: The Story Behind Stampede

Stampede isn't simply a new selection of traditional buffalo grass.

It's an aneuploid hybrid, developed using advanced embryo rescue technology to cross a polyploid parent with a diploid parent.

But what do those terms actually mean?

A polyploid plant has more than two complete sets of chromosomes, while a diploid plant has two sets of chromosomes, one inherited from each parent.

The challenge is that crossing these different types of buffalo grass doesn't normally result in a viable embryo. That's where the embryo rescue technology comes in.

Through this advanced breeding technique, researchers can recover embryos from these crosses and grow them into plants before they would naturally fail to survive. In other words, embryo rescue makes it possible to explore combinations of buffalo grass genetics that traditional breeding methods can't readily achieve.

For Stampede, the polyploid parent was known for drought resistance, while the diploid parent was noted for disease tolerance. Bringing these two genetic lines together allowed researchers to select for a new hybrid with a combination of desirable characteristics.

The resulting hybrid has a different chromosome makeup from either parent, which is what makes it an aneuploid hybrid. Its genetics contribute to characteristics including drought tolerance, disease resistance, shade tolerance and strong recovery.

The result is Stampede! A buffalo selected for a combination of resilience, appearance and performance characteristics.

And importantly, it hasn't simply been selected just because it looks good.

It's been put through its paces.

Years of research and testing

Before a new turf variety makes its way into Australian backyards, it needs to demonstrate that it can perform.

Stampede has undergone extensive evaluation in both the United States and Australia, including replicated field trials assessing characteristics such as establishment, turf quality, colour, drought response, disease tolerance and seasonal performance.

Australian trials at the Berry Facility began in December 2022 and continued through to December 2023. Stampede was monitored monthly across summer, autumn, winter and spring, with turf colour and quality assessed throughout the year.

The Australian trials were conducted under local conditions, including rainfall-only irrigation and mowing heights commonly used in Australia.

The results showed strong establishment and turf quality, with particularly strong performance in winter colour retention.

So, while Stampede might be new to homeowners, there's already plenty of research on (or in) the ground.

Stampede vs Traditional Buffalo

So, how does Stampede compare with the buffalo varieties you're already familiar with?

The biggest difference isn't necessarily one single characteristic. It's the combination of traits Stampede has been selected to bring together.

That's an important distinction.

Stampede isn't about saying that every other buffalo is suddenly obsolete. Instead, it's a new generation of buffalo that has been selected to bring together a particularly strong combination of performance characteristics.

For someone choosing between established buffalo varieties and Stampede, those differences are worth considering alongside the specific conditions of their backyard.

Is Stampede the right buffalo for you?

Every backyard is different, so choosing the right turf comes down to the conditions of your space and how you want to use it.

But if you're looking for a buffalo that combines good looks with resilience, Stampede is certainly one to put on your list.

With improved winter colour retention, high shade tolerance, drought tolerance, strong wear performance and good recovery, Stampede has been selected to handle the demands of Australian lawns.

And for extra peace of mind, Stampede is backed by a 10-year product warranty when laid and maintained according to the applicable guidelines.

Ready to meet Stampede?

Stampede Hybrid Buffalo is available from Coolabah Turf.

Thinking Stampede could be the one for your backyard? Get in touch with the Coolabah team. We're happy to help you weigh up your options and find a turf variety that's suited to your space, your conditions and the way you want to enjoy your lawn.

Meet Stampede. The next generation of buffalo grass.