How do I tell buffalo from kikuyu?
Quick answer
Look at the leaves and the runners. Buffalo has broad, flat leaves with a rounded tip and thick runners that creep over the surface only. Kikuyu has narrower, slightly hairy leaves and spreads by runners both on the surface and underground. If you find runners coming up from under the soil, it's not buffalo.
Why this happens
Buffalo and kikuyu are both warm-season grasses with runners, and from the street they can look similar. Up close, the leaves and runners give them away.
| Buffalo | Kikuyu | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaf width | Broad and flat | Medium, narrower than buffalo |
| Leaf tip | Rounded | More pointed |
| Leaf surface | Smooth | Slightly hairy |
| Runners | Thick, on the surface only | On the surface and underground |
| Spreading into beds | Over the top, easy to pull back | From underground, hard to remove |
| Shade | Copes with a little more | Needs plenty of sun |
The runner test
The quickest test is at an edge. Pull back the grass along a path or garden bed and follow a runner. Buffalo runners are thick, flat and lie on the surface. Kikuyu runners also travel under the soil and pop up in beds, between pavers and along fence lines.
Why it matters
The two grasses need different care. The most important difference is herbicides: buffalo is sensitive to some products that are used on kikuyu, so a product’s label must list buffalo before you use it on buffalo. They also differ in mowing heights, shade tolerance and how much edging they need.
Mixed lawns
Older lawns often contain both, plus couch. If yours is mixed, treat it as the most sensitive grass present when choosing products. That usually means following the label for buffalo.
Don’t go by colour
Colour isn’t a reliable test. Both grasses change colour with the season, feeding, watering and variety, and in cooler areas both slow down and lose colour over winter. Seed heads don’t help much either, because neither shows many in a regularly mown lawn. The leaf and runner tests are what tell them apart.
What you may be seeing
- Broad, flat leaves with rounded tips (buffalo)
- Narrower, slightly hairy leaves on fast-spreading runners (kikuyu)
- Runners invading garden beds from underground (kikuyu)
What you can do
Compare the leavesCheck first
Pick a few leaves. Buffalo leaves are noticeably broad with a rounded tip; kikuyu leaves are narrower.
Check the runnersCheck first
At the edge of a path or bed, look for runners. Buffalo's are thick and on the surface only. Kikuyu also sends runners underground.
Use the keyCheck first
Answer three questions in the grass identifier on the Identify page.
Save it
Set your grass type so answers, the calendar and product suggestions match your lawn.
What not to do
- Assuming a lawn is one grass. Older lawns are often a mix.
- Using a herbicide that suits kikuyu on buffalo.
How much do I need?
A label rate of "20 mL per 100 m²" means: Rate 20, mL, per 100 m². Per hectare? Use 10,000 m².
How much you need
Enter your lawn area and a rate to see how much product and water you need.
What's next
Related grass types, weeds, pests and diseases
Related questions
Related guides
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Sources
- Turf varieties, Turf Growers Association of Western AustraliaGrass types and their care. Accessed 3 October 2026.
- Kikuyu, NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional DevelopmentKikuyu runners. Accessed 4 October 2026.