The Future Of Colorado Landscapes Is Now

Tahoma 31 Bermudagrass is known for both its improved cold-hardiness and improved drought- resistance. And for good reason. Tahoma 31 was bred from two cold-hardy, drought-resistant plants found in some of the most extreme landscapes on the planet. The Mother Plant was collected on a hike in the mountains on the east side of the Himalayas in China, a region known to be very cold and arid. The Father Plant, a fine textured grass, was collected a world away in South Africa, also known for its cold, dry climate.

Dr. Yangi Wu, Professor of Grass Breeding and Genetics at Oklahoma State University, likes to seek out plant germplasm. Dr. Wu’s passion for hiking in extreme climates, while looking for unusual plants, brings us the story of Tahoma 31 Bermudagrass (OKC 1131, Varietal Name).

Dr. Wu and the turfgrass team at OSU grew the parent plants in 2006, and germinated seed in 2007 at the OSU Agronomy Research Farm in Stillwater, OK. From those crosses, 10,000 plus progeny were created. Selection began in 2007. By 2008, just 1600 plants remained and entered outdoor trials. Winter of 2010 brought extreme cold, crushing most of those 1600 plants, #31 the exception. The “31st” plant dominated with early spring green-up and a very dense appearance. “Thirty-one” was chosen in 2011 for further OSU trials, thus the varietal name OKC 1131.

More than a decade of research at OSU, and research centers around the nation through NTEP, and other trials proved the grass’ myriad of beneficial qualities. In 2017, OKC 1131 was licensed to Sod Production Services and the hunt began for a suitable name. Research, and a little luck, yielded Tahoma, a Native American word meaning frozen water. Considering the origin of the grass, it seemed fitting, and Tahoma 31 was born.