There are numerous types of grass that will thrive in residential landscapes, but unfortunately, there is not one perfect grass. Every lawn has its challenges, and every lawn is unique.
At times, grass can turn brown in the winter! Luckily there are lawn care services you can take advantage of all year round to help with all your grass needs!
There are advantages and disadvantages to every species, so you must choose grass that will work best for your growing conditions.
Below are some characteristics of the best types of grass for North Texas to help you make a smart, informed decision.
Bermuda Grass (Cynodon Dactylon)
Bermuda grass is drought resistant, grows in a variety of soils, and makes an excellent turf when properly fertilized and mowed.
This sun-loving grass can spread in two separate ways: by above-ground stems (stolons) and below-ground stems (rhizomes). Because of this, it may be difficult to contain this grass.
However, there are benefits to this. Its insistent growth rate means faster recovery, making it more durable for use in high-traffic areas such as athletic fields.
Since Bermuda spreads quickly, this can contribute to a fuller, lusher lawn which can also mean a reduction in weeds because they would have less room to grow.
Characteristics
- Perennial; Hot-Weather Grass
- Sun Requirements: Full, Direct Sun
- Soil Type: Well Drained
- Hardiness Zone: 7 to 10
St. Augustine (Stenotaphrum Secundatum)
St. Augustine grass is a salt-tolerant grass that, like Bermuda, can be wonderful for eliminating weeds due to its thick turf.
Unlike Bermuda, however, this grass is not drought tolerant and can require up to twice as much water. Keep this in mind when choosing grass types, especially if you live somewhere with water conservation policies in place.
St. Augustine spreads via stolons, not rhizomes and it is extremely rare to grow this grass from seed. Sod or plugs are the best way to go with this grass and the best part is you essentially get an instant lawn!
Characteristics
- Perennial; Warm-Season Grass
- Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
- Soil Type: Well Drained
- Hardiness Zone: 8 to 10
Zoysia (Zoysia Spp)
Zoysia grass is heat and drought-tolerant and is very resilient. It has low maintenance requirements and does not need as much water as other grasses.
Similar to Bermuda grass, Zoysia spreads by rhizomes and stolons, but it takes a bit longer to establish than other turf grasses.
However, this grass grows laterally and can form thatching that will not allow water or fertilizer to penetrate the soil. Potentially, this can be avoided by aerating in the early summer.
There are approximately 11 species of Zoysia grass, but two species are used the most in the South: Zoysia japonica and Zoysia matrella.
Characteristics
- Perennial; Warm-Season Turf Grass
- Sun Requirements: Full Sun
- Soil Type: Well Drained
- Hardiness Zone: 5 to 10
Buffalo Grass (Buchloe Dactyloides)
Buffalo grass is the only indigenous grass that can also be used as a lawn grass. This grass is drought tolerant and also has better cold resistance than some of the other warm season grasses.
This native American grass requires very little water and almost no fertilizer. Weeds are encouraged by an excess of either. Buffalo grass is both stoloniferous and rhizomatous. This typically means that the plant is more invasive.
However, this could work to your benefit. If you are mowing properly, this grass can become full and lush, pushing out any unwelcome weeds.
Characteristics
- Perennial; Warm-Season Turf Grass
- Sun Requirements: Full Sun
- Soil Type: Well Drained
- Hardiness Zone: 3 to 9
Tall Fescue (Festuca Arundinacea)
Turf-type Tall Fescue creates a durable turf when properly maintained; it tolerates shaded areas that warm season grasses cannot; it has better insect and disease resistance, and it requires less fertilizer.
Because Tall Fescue has greater heat tolerance than other cool-season grasses, but also has greater cold tolerance than warm-season grasses, the outcome includes year-round greenery in southern transitional turf grass regions.
Characteristics
- Perennial; Cool-Season Bunchgrass
- Sun Requirements: Partial Sun (>4 Hours of Direct Sun)
- Soil Type: Adaptable
- Hardiness Zone: 2 to 7
Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium Perenne)
Although perennial ryegrass is best suited to northern climates, it is widely used in southern lawns.
The reason for this is as warm-season grasses go dormant in the winter, seeding perennial ryegrass over existing warm-season lawns in the fall allows lawn owners to keep their lawns green throughout the cold winter months.
This grass germinates quickly; it can go from scattered seed to a mowable lawn in about three weeks.
It is often referred to as a nurse grass and is frequently included in grass seed blends due to quick germination and for the fact that it can provide protection to whichever grass species it is paired with.
Characteristics
- Perennial; Cool-Season Lawn Grass
- Sun Requirements: Full Sun; Tolerates Some Shade
- Soil Type: Well-Drained; pH of 5.5 to 7.5
- Hardiness Zone: 5 to 7
Gecko Green
If you have gone through all of these grass types and are still uncertain what would be best for your lawn, please let us know so that we can send a technician to assess your property and make recommendations based on the results.
New Customer? Great news! We are currently offering 50% off your first lawn care application. Visit the site below to get your quote now, or as always, you can give one of our friendly customer service representatives a call.
We look forward to assisting you in achieving the lawn you’ve been waiting for!
