florida grasses lawns types of grass in florida

There are several grass species that grow well in Florida and provide a beautiful, thick, green lawn. However, these species vary widely in their adaptation, and may be suited for particular environments or locations around the state.

Selection of the proper grass species is the first step in creating a healthy, high quality lawn for your home. Before you decide on a grass species or cultivar, there are a few things to consider:

What type of lawn is desired or expected? Whether you desire a highly manicured showcase lawn or are looking for an average ground cover that will provide a place for outdoor recreation can determine what grass you choose.

What level of lawn maintenance can you provide? Do you do your own yard work, and if so, do you have adequate time and knowledge to maintain your lawn properly, or do you hire a professional landscape maintenance firm to do your work?

Is the area shaded, moist, dry? Do you have an irrigation system? Are there soil problems that might limit grass growth? Some species tolerate environmental stresses such as shade, moist or dry soil, or soil physical or chemical problems better than others. It's important to choose the right species for your particular environment.

Are you adjacent to a body of water? This may affect how often and how much you fertilize your lawn. In an attempt to minimize contamination of Florida water bodies, minimal fertility should be applied directly adjacent to water.

What part of Florida do you live in? Some species may be better adapted to a climate in one part of the state better than another part.

Comparison of lawn grasses available for use throughout Florida.
Environment	Bahia grass	Bermuda grass	Carpet grass	Centipede grass	Seashore Paspalum	St. Augustine grass	Zoysia grass
Area Adapted To	Statewide	Statewide	Wet areas	N. Florida and Panhandle	Statewide	Statewide	Statewide
Mowing Ht. (inches)	3-4	0.5-1.5	1.5-2	1.5-2	1.5-3	1.5-4	1-2
Soil	Acid, sandy	Wide range	Acid, wet	Acid, infertile	Wide range	Wide range	Wide range
Leaf Texture	Coarse- medium	Fine- medium	Medium	Medium	Fine- medium	Coarse- medium	Fine- medium
Drought Tolerance	Excellent	Good	Poor	Medium	Good	Poor	Medium
Salt Tolerance	Very poor	Good	Poor	Poor	Excellent	Poor	Good
Shade Tolerance	Poor	Poor	Fair	Fair	Fair	Good	Good
Wear Tolerance	Poor	Good- excellent	Poor	Poor	Good- excellent	Poor	Good- excellent
Nematode Tolerance	Very good	Poor	Poor	Poor	Good	Good	Poor
Maintenance Level	Low	Medium- high	Low	Low	Medium	Medium	High
Uses	Lawns, roadsides	Athletic fields, golf	Wet areas	Lawns	Lawns, athletic fields, golf	Lawns	Lawns
Establishment Methods	Seed, sod	Sod, sprigs, plugs, some seed	Seed, sprigs	Seed, sod, sprigs, plugs	Sod, plugs, sprigs	Sod, plugs, sprigs	Sod, plugs, sprigs

Landscape Genie | Fort Lauderdale Florida

florida grasses and lawns

Florida Grasses and Lawns

(printed with permission, University of Florida)