A bright green, fine-textured, and shallow-rooted grass with boat-shaped tips to its blades, this relative of Kentucky bluegrass is noted for its high tolerance of moist soils and shade.

The grass is soft, cold hardy, and retains its color over winter in mild climates. It makes a good component in shady-lawn mixtures, but in sunny areas it tends to crowd out other worthwhile grasses, particularly Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass.

Most rough bluegrass is grown in the same locations as in Kentucky bluegrass. Popular cultivars are "Colt," "Laser," and "Sabre."