The most important thing you can do for your Florida lawn is to pick the appropriate kind of grass. That lush, green grass thrives all year. The many growing zones in Florida require a variety of grasses. Finding the best grass for your lawn in Florida is difficult due to a constant supply of heat and humidity.
If you believe the grass on the other side of your fence is greener, this article is for you. You’ll learn about the three kinds of grass that flourish in North Florida, Central Florida, and South Florida in this section. Selecting which grass to use on your lawn or patio may be aided by photos and descriptions of various grasses.
Types of Grasses for Florida Lawns (By Zone)
The best kinds of grass for Florida lawns are typically warm-season grasses. St. Augustine is the most common type of lawn grass. For cultivating in Florida’s subtropical warm and humid environment, Augustine is the best. This tough grass with thick blades provides a carpet-like surface that weeds cannot grow on and is suitable for Florida landscapes.
When selecting grass for your Florida garden, consideration of the growing zone is critical. North, Central, and South Florida are the three distinct growing zones of the state. The USDA hardiness zone determines the types of grasses suited to a given location.
North Florida USDA growing zones 8 and 9a are the appropriate zones. The Panhandle and the Gulf Coast of Northern Florida are part of this region. Bermuda grass and St. Augustinegrass are two good lawn grasses for northern Florida. Centipede grass and Augustine grass are two types of grass. It might be necessary to reseed the lawn with cold-season grass in regions where the winters are long and harsh in order to keep it green throughout winter.
Central Florida USDA zones 9a through 10a are used to classify this plant. From north of Lake Okeechobee to just north of Orlando, this expanding zone is present. Bahiagrass, Bermuda grass, and Zoysia grass are all suitable warm-season turfgrass for Central Florida.
South Florida USDA zones 10 and 11 cover the Florida Keys. With year-round sunlight, this part of Florida is hot and humid. Bahiagrass and St. Augustinegrass are two of the finest turfgrass types for developing in South Florida. Augustine grass is the grass we’re talking about. It is also worth noting, however, that St. In the hottest parts of Florida, Augustine grass may struggle.
How to Choose the Best Type of Lawn Grass For Florida
Any garden landscape in Florida will be improved by a gorgeous lush, green lawn. However, Lawns are more than just a source of beauty; they also help to improve property value. Green turfgrass is good for leisure, helps with erosion management, and has a cooling effect.
Depending on your location within the state and your gardening needs, you’ll need to choose between various types of lawn grass. When deciding on which grass seed to purchase, there are a few things to consider:
- The amount of sunlight your lawn receives
- Heat and humidity are at different stages.
- Your lawn requires a lot of upkeep, including irrigation and fertilization.
- Will heavy footfall or recreational activities be a problem on the lawn?
You can choose the appropriate sort of grass for your yard when you know the answers to these concerns.
What Kind of Grass Do I Have?
It’s critical to keeping your lawn healthy to know the kind of grass present. You can determine the grass species by looking at the blade’s form, width, and tips. You may also watch the grass grow habits in action. For instance, do stolons (above-ground runners) or rhizomes (below-ground runners) spread the grass? Looking at the look of fresh grass blades — are they folded or rolled? — is another way to determine grass types.
Types of Lawn Grass For Florida (With Pictures and Names)
How do you know what kind of grass grows in your Florida garden? What kind of grass should you plant in your particular region of the Sunshine State? The top types of grass for Florida are listed below.
St. Augustine Grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum)
The cathedral was built by Saint. In Florida, the broad leaf and rounded blade tips of Augustine lawn grass identify it. One of the most prevalent kinds of grass in Florida is Augustine grass, which is a warm-season grass. Saint. The wide, rough blades with rounded tips of Augustine grass are diagnostic.
This grass from Florida is usually dark green in color. St. is a rapidly expanding company. To keep its vivid look, Augustine grass requires frequent care.
It is the Saint who is being honored. One of the most popular lawn grasses in Florida is Augustine. Note that the title of this article is in Spanish. Apart from the northernmost parts of Florida, Augustine grass grows well in most places. Since colder winter temperatures may make the grass pale yellow and even brown in early spring, this is why. The lawn might not hold up under heavy foot traffic, which is another factor. As a result, it’s recommended to install a tougher turfgrass if youngsters or pets play in the yard often.
Pros:
- Thrives in hot, wet climates.
- Weeds can’t penetrate because of its thick canopy.
- In full sun and partial shade, it performs well.
- In coastal areas, it has excellent salt tolerance for planting.
Cons:
- It isn’t suited for high traffic areas
- Low mowing heights are intolerable to them.
- In the winter or early spring, it may lose its color.
Growth habit: Stolons.
Soil type: Well-drained sandy soil is ideal for it.
Mowing height: 2.5” to 4” (63 to 100 mm).
Grass identification
The saintly St. The rounded blade tips and wide, coarse leaves of Augustine turfgrass grow 0.3” (8 mm) broad and can be recognized. The grass spreads by stolons as young leaves emerge folded. The color of the grass ranges from blue to dark green.
Bermuda Grass (Cynodon dactylon)
Bermuda grass sod is a tough, heavy-duty turfgrass that thrives in the middle and south of Florida. With short, thin blades and a strong root system, this ideal warm-season tropical grass has a gray-green color. The fine texture and rapid development of Bermuda grass may help you identify it. For athletic fields, golf courses, and business landscapes, Bermuda turfgrass is a popular option. If necessary, you may mow the grass down to a brief height, or you may let it grow longer.
Its rapid expansion, on the other hand, necessitates frequent upkeep that may be difficult for owners to deal with. Bermuda grass thrives in temperatures between 75°F and 99°F (24°C and 37°C) in full sun. The grass will, however, become dormant at temperatures below 60°F (15°C), which is why brown patches occur. Bermuda grass, on the other hand, is a excellent option as a highly durable turfgrass in hot regions.
Pros:
- It is unusually heat tolerant.
- Heavy foot traffic is resistant to it.
- It’s drought tolerant because of its strong root system.
Cons:
- For certain homeowners, its high upkeep demands might be impossible.
- Mowing your lawn frequently is required for fast-growing grass.
- Not recommended for use in Florida’s northern reaches.
- Shade doesn’t sit well with them.
Growth habit: Stolons and rhizomes.
Soil type: Fertile soil with good drainage and humus.
Mowing height: 1” to 2” (25 – 50 mm).
Grass identification
The thin, dark-green grass blades of Bermuda grass are easily recognizable. You’ll notice that the pointed tips of the slender blades are new grass leaves that have been folded. A thick, carpet-like covering is created by the spreading grass.
Centipede Grass (Eremochloa ophiuroides)
Centipede grass is a low-maintenance kind of grass that thrives in the state’s warm zones and receives plenty of sunlight. Medium to coarse textured blades with pointed tips characterize perennial turfgrass. The blades are 1.18″ (30 mm) long and are very thin. A lovely lawn is made with centipede lawn grass, which comes in a light to medium green color.
Because of its slow growth and minimal fertilization needs, centipede grass is a low-maintenance turfgrass. As a result, you won’t have to cut centipede grass as frequently as other Florida lawns. Because it has shallow roots, it needs frequent watering in dry spells.
Pros:
- It doesn’t need much care or fertilizeration to thrive.
- Insects and diseases have no effect on it.
- It can handle low-quality soil and shade.
- Low mowing requirements are required of you.
Cons:
- It doesn’t hold up to a lot of foot traffic.
- The health of the lawn can be harmed by too much nitrogen or over-watering.
- Thatch tends to develop in abundance.
Growth habit: Stolons reproduce slow-growing and fresh growth.
Soil type: Soils that retain moisture well and are sandy or acidic.
Mowing height: 1.5” to 2” (38 – 50 mm).
Grass identification
As compared to the other Florida grasses, centipede grass has a lighter color. The little blades with pointed or boat-shaped tips of warm-season grass may be recognized.
Bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum)
In Florida, Bahiagrass is a suitable option for lawns when other grasses are difficult to establish. The flat, coarse-textured blades with pointed tips distinguish this low-maintenance lawn grass. Grass seed stalks can grow 8” to 30” (20 to 75 cm) tall, and the green grass blades are medium in width.
Because it can tolerate poor growing circumstances, Bahiagrass is a popular grass in Florida. The thick, drought-tolerant grass thrives in both full and partial sunlight and can handle salty conditions. Because it’s difficult to grow other kinds of grass, the grass is an excellent option.
Pros:
- Heat, drought, and poor soil conditions are all tolerated by this tree.
- Due to its low maintenance requirements, it is ideal for sensitive environments.
- A rapid development rate, resulting in a dense, coarse mat
- Suitable for vast lawns that don’t have irrigation.
Cons:
- Pests and diseases are both attracted to it.
- To prevent tall growth, frequent mowing is required.
- The grass isn’t the most attractive we’ve ever seen.
Growth habit: A fast growing rate is characteristic of creeping stolons and rhizomes.
Soil type: Poor soil is one of the most common types of soil.
Mowing height: 3” to 4” (75 – 100 mm).
Grass identification
During the growing season, bahiagrass is distinguished by its thin, spindly, light to medium green blades. It is also known as Pensacola Bahia. Young blades emerge rolled and have a pointed tip on each blade.
Buffalo Grass (Bouteloua dactyloides)
Buffalo grass is a well-known shortgrass that grows in Central and North Florida and is distinguished by its small blades. The leaves are thin and spindly, growing 2 to 5 inches (5 to 13 cm) tall in the gray-green or blue-green. The drought- and cold-tolerant hardy Buffalo lawn grass creates a thick, green, sturdy lawn in Florida.
One of the few drought-tolerant grass types suitable for Florida lawns is buffalo grass, which is classified as prairie grass. If you want to save on lawn watering and care, Buffalo is a fantastic grass to choose. It’s also suited for parks, golf courses, residential lawns, and parks because of its resistance to light foot traffic.
Pros:
- It can live in an alkaline environment.
- Heat tolerance is exceptional.
- Drought-tolerant and requires very little water.
- Mowing, watering, and fertilizing are all required.
- Many pests are not interested in this plant.
Cons:
- Buying grass seeds or sod can be costly.
- When the lawn becomes established, weeds can become a problem.
- From mid-fall to spring, grass becomes straw-brown.
- It might be invasive and harmful.
- It’s not intended for busy traffic areas.
Growth habit: Stolons that mostly branch out.
Soil type: Soil types such as acidic, neutral, and alkaline, as well as clay and heavy clay soil.
Mowing height: 2” (5 cm).
Grass identification
The grass blades of buffalo grass are short and thin. The edges of new blades develop pointed blade tips after being rolled.
Zoysia Grass (Zoysia)
Zoysia grasses come in a variety of shapes and colors. Zoysia japonica ‘Compadre,’ a hardy non-native grass with a thick blade, thrives in most parts of Florida. Zoysia grass provides a thick, cushiony carpet that feels great to walk on. The dark-green color of the medium-size grass blades is lush. Zoysia grass thrives in salty, shaded, weed-infested, and foot traffic-free conditions.
This is a Florida-friendly grass that grows well in both wet and dry climates with high humidity. The plug planting technique or laying sod is usually required to establish zoysia lawns. It’s difficult to grow a zoysia lawn from seed because it grows at a sluggish pace.
Pros:
- Heavy foot traffic resistant properties are excellent.
- It isn’t watered often, if at all.
- It is feasible to cut the grass to a very low height.
- Walking barefoot, it feels velvety.
Cons:
- In colder weather, the grass turns pale quickly.
- It may take a long time to recover from damage or thinning.
Growth habit: Rhizomes and stolons.
Soil type: It may be used on a variety of loamy, sandy, and clay soils.
Mowing height: 0.25” to 2” (6 – 50 mm).
Grass identification
Medium-sized leaf blades with pointed tips make up Zoysia grass, which is light green in color. Depending on the variety, the turfgrass may have a coarse or fine texture.
Carpet Grass (Axonopus compressus)
The grass carpets originated in Florida and thrives in poor soils and partial shade. Warm-season grass is suitable for developing turfgrass in low-fertility soils in partial shade and is also known as blanket grass or Louisiana grass. The broad blades may be up to 6 inches (15 cm) long and 1.5 inches (3 cm) broad.
Pros:
- In poor soil conditions, it performs very well.
- Shade tolerance is a characteristic of the grass.
- It needs very little care, and it isn’t fertilized at all.
- Weeds are kept at bay by thick vegetation.
Cons:
- Drought is not tolerated by this plant.
- During the winter, it turns brown.
- Mowing frequently is required for fast, sometimes invasive growth.
Growth habit: Stolons.
Soil type: Low-fertility, acidic, and wet, poorly-draining soil of all types are included in this category.
Mowing height: 0.75” to 2” (2 – 5 cm).
Grass identification
The wide, light-green blades with a coarse to fine texture distinguish carpet grass.
Seashore Paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum)
Seashore paspalum is a long, slightly hairy blue-green blade up to 3″ (7.5 cm) long and 0.78″ (20 mm) broad that is drought and salt tolerant in Florida. Throughout the coast and in the tropics, this rich grass is perfect. It is drought-tolerant and has a weed-free lawn because of the spreading stolons, which produce a deep root system.
Several of the hardy qualities of seashore paspalum are similar to those of Bermuda grass. This tropical grass, on the other hand, thrives better in shaded circumstances when compared to Bermuda grass. It’s also one of the saltiest grasses found in Florida. Residential lawns, golf courses, sports fields, and parks in Florida utilize seashore paspalum.
Pros:
- Because of its resistance to saline conditions, it is possible to grow grass in coastal places.
- Being waterlogged, he survives.
- In places with limited water usage, it is feasible to irrigate grass using graywater.
- It keeps weeds at bay.
- Heavy foot traffic is resistant to it.
- Mowing height can be set quite high.
Cons:
- It is not cold-tolerant.
- Pests and diseases can infect them.
Growth habit: Rhizomes and stolons.
Soil type: Soils that are poorly draining are tolerated, as are most others..
Mowing height: 0.11” to 1” (3 – 25 mm).
Grass identification
Seashore paspalum resembles Bermuda grass and is also known as biscuit grass, silt grass, or swam couch. The grass blades, which are 10–19 cm long and have a delicate texture, are blue-green.