The grass is always green on the north side of the ASU Fulton Center.
That's where an artificial plot of grass sits between the building and the parking structure, next to the pay booth.
Surrounded by real trees and plants, this patch of artificial grass is the only of its kind in the area.
It is not thoroughly nailed down, so the grass can easily be lifted off.
Communication senior Nate Tipton didn't like the way the grass felt as he lay on it.
"It feels like plastic. My legs are itchy," he said. "But if I wouldn't have touched it, I wouldn't have known it was fake."
Ground Services Assistant Director Ellen Newell said that's just what the artificial grass was intended for.
"That area [of fake grass] would be very difficult to maintain [if it were real]. It'd be very difficult to get a lawn mower up there," she said.
The faux green is just there to make the area look a little nicer, Newell said.
Christian Harrie, a biology sophomore, said he likes the idea of artificial grass because it's "environmental-friendly."
"It's going to stay green all year long," he said. "I'd rather see this than a square of gravel."
Although the artificial grass cost more money to install, it costs less to maintain, Newell said.
"You don't have people walking on it, or running across it," she said. "It's a pretty good application because it's really small and does its job."
The Fulton Center building and the area around it is run and maintained by Lincoln Properties, a national company contracted by ASU.
Tipton said he saw the advantage of going with the fake patch over the real deal.
"Fake grass - it's a thing of the future," he said.
Reach the reporter at: astrid.galvan@asu.edu.
