Research Results, Features & Benefits
What is Endarra 81™ Bermudagrass?
Endarra 81 is a highly drought-resistant, beautiful, and strong bermudagrass developed primarily for lawns by the turfgrass experts at Oklahoma State University. The research indicates that it is among the most drought-resistant bermudagrasses, if not the most drought-resistant bermudagrass, ever released.
Origin of Name Endarra 81™ Bermuda
The fanciful name Endarra is derived from Indarra, a word in the Basque language that means Strength. Endara (spelled with one r), is also a surname from certain regions of Spain and France, that means Endurance. In Spanish, Tierra means Terrain. We combine the three together (Strength, Endurance, and Terrain) to get Endarra 81.
Brief Summary
Endarra 81 is a new, high-quality, interspecific hybrid turf bermudagrass. It has exhibited significantly improved drought resistance that, in numerous studies, shows it is as good as, if not more drought-resistant than TifTuf in a wide range of the southern United States. It has excellent fall color retention like TifTuf. It produces few seedheads, which is an improvement over some popular drought-resistant varieties, including TifTuf. It has demonstrated excellent establishment characteristics and leaf spot disease resistance, fine leaf texture, high density, dark green color, and sufficient sod tensile strength for reliable, large-scale commercial production on farms.
Research Name
OSU2081
Developed by
The Turfgrass Experts at Oklahoma State University, by the same team that developed Tahoma 31®
Tagline
Strength & Beauty
Areas of Adaptation
Endarra 81 is well adapted to Oklahoma, Texas, California, North Carolina, and other southern states. Endarra 81 thrives in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 7a and warmer climates. Though not yet tested in these regions, similar climates in Australia, Asia, and the Mediterranean should have similar results
Key Drought Research Findings
Top Performer in Turf Quality Under Drought Stress
In separate testing against 189 other cultivars, at 7 locations in southern states, under drought conditions, the PGC (% of green cover) of Endarra 81 was similar to that of TifTuf and Tahoma 31, but better than Tifway. Under no drought stress, Endarra 81 had a turfgrass quality rating similar to TifTuf, but better than Tahoma 31 and Tifway. Under drought stress conditions, Endarra 81 was the top performer for turfgrass quality.
Source: Table 9. 2021 – 2023 SHARED SPACE PLANTED NURSERY (SSPN)TEST: This regional field trial was carried out at 7 locations in the southern states (Stillwater, OK; Dallas, TX; Riverside, CA; Tifton and Griffin, GA; Citra, FL; and Jackson Springs, NC).
Turf Quality Under Extreme Drought
Endarra 81 retains better turfgrass quality under extreme drought conditions than all currently released grasses tested, including TifTurf, Tahoma 31, and Tifway.
Higher Percentage of Green Cover During Drought
Under extreme drought conditions, Endarra 81 retained a significantly higher percentage of green cover. Endarra 81 retained 92.8% of its green cover compared with TifTuf at 89.9%, Tahoma 31 at 85.7% and Tifway at 53.1%.
Faster Drought Stress Recovery
Under drought stress, the turfgrass quality of Endarra 81, and the recovery of Endarra 81 post-drought stress, was the same as TifTuf, and better than Tahoma 31 and Tifway.
Source: Table 6,. 2019-2023 USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) funded project, Regional Drought Resistance Test. Three regions experienced extreme drought conditions. They were Riverside, CA; Stillwater, OK; and Dallas, Texas. Table 6, OSU release document.
Other Key Findings
Testimonial from the lead scientist, Dr. Yanqi Wu, Oklahoma State University
July 25, 2025
“Endarra 81 is an outstanding variety for drought conditions. It performed better than TifTuf in extreme drought environments. In trials conducted at multiple locations from 2020 to 2023, it was the best performer in SSPN and outperformed TifTuf in extreme drought environments, as demonstrated in advanced trials in Dallas, TX, Stillwater, OK, and Riverside, California. We are working on a peer reviewed manuscript in which Endarra 81 performed significantly better than TifTuf and other varieties in TX and OK from the same advanced trial. In addition to its superb drought resistance, this variety produces less seedheads than TifTuf in general, although not every time. This grass also has a darker color than some other varieties, including TifTuf. It is a great choice for lawns.”
*SSPN: Shared Space Planted Nursery test
Low Seedhead Production
Fewer seedheads than most grasses tested, including TifTuf. Seedheads are a known issue for some varieties, including TifTuf. In many research studies, Endarra 81 has consistently shown a lower occurrence of seedhead production than others tested.
Source: Mirabel Turf Evaluation Test, Scottsdale, AZ, established July 2023.
Fall Color
It has excellent fall color retention, rated similar to TifTuf.
Color Retention
The fall color retention of Endarra 81 was not different from that of TifTuf and Tifway but was better than Tahoma 31. (Table 5).
Spring Green-up
Endarra 81 exhibits better spring green-up than Tifway.
Low Seedhead Production
Similar to TifTuf and Tahoma 31, but higher leaf spot disease resistance than Tifway (Table 5).
Testimonial from the lead scientist, Dr. Yanqi Wu, Oklahoma State University
July 25, 2025
“Endarra 81 is an outstanding variety for drought conditions. It performed better than TifTuf in extreme drought environments. In trials conducted at multiple locations from 2020 to 2023, it was the best performer in SSPN and outperformed TifTuf in extreme drought environments, as demonstrated in advanced trials in Dallas, TX, Stillwater, OK, and Riverside, California. We are working on a peer reviewed manuscript in which Endarra 81 performed significantly better than TifTuf and other varieties in TX and OK from the same advanced trial. In addition to its superb drought resistance, this variety produces less seedheads than TifTuf in general, although not every time. This grass also has a darker color than some other varieties, including TifTuf. It is a great choice for lawns.”
*SSPN: Shared Space Planted Nursery test
Additional Benefits & Features
Exceptional Beauty
Remarkable deep
green color
Fine Leaf Blade
Endarra 81 has leaf blades
similar to TifTuf
Strength
Endarra 81 is strong. Endarra 81 demonstrates high density and tensile strength.
Better Overall
Endarra 81 performs significantly better than the industry standard Tifway 419 in almost every turf trait.
Endarra 81 Data
Drought Study Crop Science
In this peer-reviewed article from Corp Science (September 2025, Yu et al), note that the authors include professors from the University of Georgia who developed TifTuf, from Oklahoma State University, as well as professors from other universities. That means the results in the article are fully endorsed by these professors. Endarra 81 (OSU2081) and other experimental lines exhibited better drought resistance than TifTuf, a drought standard cultivar in the south central Great Plains.
“Experimental lines OSU2073, OSU2081, OSU2082, TifB20201, and TifB20205 showed improved drought response relative to the drought-resistant cultivar TifTuf with significant genetic gain in the mega environment (a group of locations that share similar environment conditions in which a crop has consistent performance across them) of Dallas, TX, and Stillwater, OK.”