re: Best grass to have in a shaded area

quote:

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I know fescue in rare situations can go dormant but I can't say I have personally seen it in my 15+ years with fescue lawns.

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I'm not going to claim expertise when it comes to fescue. But a quick google check confirms it is a cool season grass that goes dormant in the heat if not watered quite a bit in the summer. I planted an experimental patch about 15 years ago to see how it did in Dallas and I was able to get it to go dormant and then resurrect it by watering. The problem with growing it in Dallas is the amount of water it takes to keep it green in the summer, even in the shade. We have irrigation water rationing/restrictions here so you are not able to water it enough to keep it green. And its a slow grower here since we have about 5 months where night temps are above 75. I know the OP is in Tennessee which is why I asked if they had dormancy problems up there.