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Lawn grass guide · Cool-season grass
Velvet bentgrass
Agrostis canina
- Cool-season
- Finest texture
- Stolons
- Shade tolerant
- Putting greens
Velvet bentgrass is the finest and densest of the bentgrasses. Cut low and managed right, it looks like a green velvet carpet.
Mowing & careAll lawn grasses
- Type: Cool-season · Stolons (short; spreads mostly by many upright shoots)
- Mow at: Rutgers trials mowed it at 1/8 in. on greens and 3/8 in. on fairways. It tolerates very close mowing (Michigan State, Rutgers).
- Shade: Well adapted to shade as well as sun (Rutgers).
- Drought: One of the most drought-resistant bentgrasses used for turf (Rutgers).
- Plant by: Seed. Seedlings are prone to Pythium during establishment (Rutgers).
What is velvet bentgrass?
Velvet bentgrass (Agrostis canina) is a cool-season bentgrass with the finest blades and highest shoot density of the turf bentgrasses. Michigan State calls it the most beautiful of all turfgrasses.
Velvet bentgrass grass grows low and flat, which helps it take very close mowing. Rutgers says it handles shade, is one of the most drought-resistant bentgrasses, resists dollar spot and brown patch better than creeping bentgrass, and is very good at keeping annual bluegrass out of greens. The URI and UMass team describes it as having excellent tolerance of low light, low nitrogen and low water.
Its weak spots are thatch, a few diseases and winter hardiness. It builds thatch fast if fed heavily, is more prone to copper spot and red thread, and seedlings are easily hit by Pythium. It also does not do well on poorly drained or poorly aerated soil (Rutgers).
How to identify velvet bentgrass
Pull up a few shoots and look closely where the leaf blade meets the stem. Here is what to check on velvet bentgrass:
- Leaf blade: Finest-textured of the turf bentgrasses; forms the densest turf.
- Growth habit: Low and prostrate. Spreads mostly by many upright shoots, with short above-ground stolons.
Where velvet bentgrass is grown in the US
Velvet bentgrass is mainly a putting green grass. Michigan State says it can be used on fairways only at low fertility. Rutgers notes it has not been widely used for high-care turf, mostly because its range of adaptation was not well known.
It has a long US history. Rutgers reports that improved seed strains were sold by 1945, but production stopped around World War II. Rutgers says interest returned within the decade before its 2003 report, and velvet selections have persisted for many years in its New Jersey trials.
Rutgers quotes 1945 work saying it blends well in lawn and park mixes, but today's research and seed supply center on golf. Michigan State calls its winter hardiness questionable. University of Rhode Island and UMass researchers have been collecting old velvet bentgrass plants from New England golf courses to save its stress-tolerance traits.
Velvet bentgrass pros and cons
Pros
- Finest texture and highest density of the bentgrasses
- Shade tolerant
- Most drought resistant of the turf bentgrasses
- Better dollar spot and brown patch resistance than creeping bentgrass
- Needs less fertility than creeping bentgrass
- Helps keep annual bluegrass out of greens
Cons
- Builds thatch fast, especially with high nitrogen
- Prone to copper spot and red thread
- Seedlings are prone to Pythium
- Winter hardiness questioned by Michigan State
- Does poorly on wet or compacted soil
- Mostly a golf green grass; little lawn seed or research
Grasses that look like velvet bentgrass
| Grass | How to tell it apart |
|---|---|
| Creeping bentgrass Agrostis stolonifera | Creeping bentgrass is darker green, coarser and spreads more strongly by stolons (Rutgers). |
| Colonial bentgrass Agrostis capillaris | Colonial bentgrass is also light green but less dense, and its stolons spread less than velvet's (Rutgers). |
How and when to plant velvet bentgrass
Ways to plant: Seed. Seedlings are prone to Pythium during establishment (Rutgers).
Seeding rate: No recommended rate in our sources. Rutgers trials were hand-sown at about 0.5 lb per 1,000 sq ft.
When to plant: No timing advice in our sources. Rutgers trial plots were seeded in September in New Jersey.
Seeding dates change from state to state. See when to plant grass seed by state, or our Pennsylvania grass seed guide if you are in PA.
How to care for velvet bentgrass
Mowing: It is grown at golf heights; Rutgers trials used 1/8 in. on greens and 3/8 in. on fairways.
Watering: Rutgers says its drought tolerance can help managers under water limits. It does not thrive on poorly drained or poorly aerated soil.
Fertilizing: Keep fertility lower than for creeping bentgrass. High nitrogen leads to excess thatch (Michigan State, Rutgers).
Nitrogen per year: Needs less fertility than creeping bentgrass, per early Rutgers results. One Rutgers velvet green got 0.96 lb N per 1,000 sq ft for the year. High nitrogen causes heavy thatch (Michigan State).
Overseeding: No lawn overseeding advice in our sources.
Thatch: Builds thatch quickly, faster than creeping bentgrass under the same care, and worse with high fertility and higher mowing (Rutgers, Michigan State).
Common velvet bentgrass problems
| Type | What to watch for |
|---|---|
| Diseases | Copper spot · Red thread · Pythium (seedlings) · Pink snow mold · Dollar spot (some lines) |
| Weeds | annual bluegrass |
If a pesticide is needed, use only products labeled for that use; the label is the law. If you hire someone to treat a lawn, make sure they hold your state’s pesticide applicator license; see our pesticide applicator license guide. To put a name to a lawn weed, use our weed identification guide.
Questions we get about velvet bentgrass
Velvet bentgrass vs creeping bentgrass: what's the difference?
Velvet is finer, denser and brighter green, handles shade, and resists dollar spot and brown patch better. Creeping bentgrass spreads faster by stolons and is far more common. Velvet builds thatch faster under creeping-style care (Rutgers).
Can I use velvet bentgrass for a lawn?
Rutgers quotes 1945 work saying it blends well in lawn and park mixes, but today it is grown almost only on golf greens at very low heights. Michigan State also questions its winter hardiness.
Does velvet bentgrass grow in shade?
Yes. Rutgers says it is well adapted to shade as well as sun.
Why is velvet bentgrass rare?
Rutgers says seed production of early varieties stopped around World War II and its range of adaptation was not well known. Interest has picked up again in recent decades.
How much fertilizer does velvet bentgrass need?
Less than creeping bentgrass, per early Rutgers results. Too much nitrogen causes heavy thatch.
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Hard fescueFestuca brevipilaSources: Performance of Bentgrass Cultivars and Selections Under Putting Green and Fairway Conditions in Michigan, E-2917 (Michigan State University Extension) · Bentgrass cultivar trials in New Jersey, 2005 Rutgers Turfgrass Proceedings · Performance of Bentgrass Cultivars and Selections in New Jersey Turf Trials, 2003 Rutgers Turfgrass Proceedings · Evaluation of the New England Velvet Bentgrass Collection, 2009 USGA Turfgrass and Environmental Research Summary (University of Rhode Island and University of Massachusetts researchers)
Checked Nov. 14, 2026. Pesticides: always read and follow the product label. Applicator licensing rules vary by state.
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