Understanding Couch Grass In Queensland
Like so many other aspects of Australian life, prior to the onset of modern and instant communications, each region of Australia often developed its own names for the same varieties of plants, fish, wildlife and other things which many regions share in common.
And the same is true when it comes to Couch grass.
With the introduction of Digitaria didactyla as a new lawn to Australia which was imported from South Africa, it was quickly named to Queensland Blue Couch, where it had grown and flourished under prime and optimum conditions for its growth as a lawn.
So here we have the introduction of the name Queensland Blue Couch.
It was now grown in Queensland, it had a blue hue, and it slightly resembled Couch lawns.
Later, and due to the overwhelming popularity of this grass type, the name Queensland Blue Couch was quickly shortened in local vernacular to now being called just Couch by many people in the State.
Real Couch Lawn
A real Couch lawn is from an entirely different grass family altogether, and is no relation to Digitaria didactyla. Couch grass is from the family Cynodon Dactylon.
So here we have the beginnings of decades of confusion.
These days Couch has been further bred and developed into many different variants which include Greenlees Park, Winter Green, Santa Ana, Grand Prix and many others… Yet, none of them are any relation to Queensland Blue Couch.
Queensland Green Couch
Now here comes the next part of the Couch confusion for many people in Queensland.
Because Queensland Blue Couch was now being called "Couch" - there came a problem in differentiating Queensland Blue Couch from real Couch.
After all, we cannot have two entirely different grass types being called by exactly the same name.
So in came the new names of Blue Couch and Green Couch, with Green Couch referring to real Couch.
With most people still calling Queensland Blue Couch - just "Couch".
Queensland Green Couch - Only in Queensland
Now comes the final part of confusion for many people in Queensland, and it's the problem of buying Green Couch.
Everywhere else in Australia, the old style common Couch is simply referred to as Couch, and everybody knows that it is common Couch, and therefore may not purchase it over the superior modern varieties of Couch as mentioned earlier in this article. Or if they did buy it, then at least they could be making informed decisions.
So in Queensland, where, because of its unique name of Queensland Green Couch, it appears that it may possibly be a modern and improved variant of Couch, it is not, it is common Couch.
