Types Of Grass In Florida: 2023’s Best Grass Guide
A person bought an attractive condo or dazzling mobile home in the Sunshine State, desiring to have an ideal life in a serene community. However, when residents imagine a patio furniture arrangement in a beautiful, lush, and densely green lawn for intimate gatherings with loved ones, they face an overwhelming challenge: choosing the best types of grass in Florida.
Homeowners desire a resilient grass that should thrive and flourish even in the most drastic Florida climate conditions. As the world is well aware, Florida contends with unbearable heat, heavy rainfall, scorching humidity, salty seashores, and, above all, the hurricane season.
We have curated this article to provide a straightforward solution to eliminate this overwhelming. We want to let Floridians know about the best types of grass that have been in hot searches.
In this article, we will discuss the top 3 best types of grass in Florida that we have tested for a long. After all-out testing, we can now confidently declare that these types of grass not only flourish but also thrive while retaining their natural green beauty in Florida’s challenging climate.
The lawns and yards are different in each city of the state of Florida and experience diverse climates, distinct weather patterns, different soil compositions, and exceptional soil textures, all of which require different irrigation routines.
Our research focused on testing different types of grass in Florida under the challenging conditions of wild environments, including lawns with high salinity or acidity.
Our goal was to bring out the results to identify and recommend the most best types of grass for these conditions, as well as for areas in Florida where weather patterns are somehow stable.
3 Types Of Grass In Florida
Zoysia Grass
Zoysia grass, scientifically known as Zoysia, is like a turf variety and a popular choice boasting a deep, dark green appearance that is undeniably eye-catching. Its natural green color richness is incredible.
Zoysia grass sustains its thriving factors and retains its beauty longer in hot coastal areas. And the special part that makes it best is it maintains its strengths to thrive in high-traffic lawns or golf courses.
The results were incredible when the durability was tested; zoysia grass is heat resistant and drought tolerant, resistant to diseases. Zoysia’s dense growth pattern also makes it a formidable opponent against weeds.
So, why have we ranked it #1? The answer lies in its minimal care and maintenance requirements.
In Florida, many young adults are busy in their professional careers, leaving little time for lawn, yard, or garden care.
Sometimes, Zoysia goes dormant due to Florida’s frost episodes, but it’s not a big deal – it’s temporary. Zoysia grass will regain its growth potential once temperatures bounce to the low to mid-70s.
St. Augustine
Scientifically known as Stenotaphrum secundatum, St. Augustine grass is native to the Gulf of Mexico and Mediterranean regions. It creates a lush and dense turf with blades ranging from green to blue-green and is exceptionally best for the diverse landscapes and climates throughout Florida.
St. Augustine grass thrives, especially in humid and wet conditions, which impart an attractive shine to its appearance. St. Augustine grass has a tolerance high for salt sprays and drought, which is best for coastal areas. Resistance to diseases and heat helps St. Augustine sustain its beauty, strength, health, and color in all seasons.
St. Augustine grass grows quickly than Zoysia, but mowing on time helps it maintain its beauty and color for a long time.
The health of the grass is incredible, not questionable. In North Florida and Jacksonville, the fertilizing of St. Augustine is in hot demand, but sometimes, in North Florida, st. Augustine requires some pre-emergent herbicides in deep roots, and 3 inches of gap among blades will result in better.
Consider these different St. Augustine Grass types:
Floratam: Affordable, carpet-like, blue-green.
Seville: Fine leaves, dark green, thrives in sun or shade.
Palmetto: Tough, emerald green, highly attractive.
Bitter Blue: Bug-resistant, blue green color, cold-tolerant.
Bermuda Grass
Scientifically known as Cynodon Dactylon, the blades of Bermuda grass are short but with long edges. With a green-gray color, the look of Bermuda grass attracts the residents.
Bermuda grass is the best choice for high-traffic lawns and golf courses because of its resistance to weeds and drought conditions. In sandy soils and harsh temperatures, the Bermuda grass never disappoints.
Sometimes, it goes dormant but recovers incredibly fast. For that, the results force us to include the Bermuda grass as a good choice in warm season grass.
In-home lawns or on golf courses, Bermuda Grass, requires unusual irrigation, and that is why we put in our best choices in low-maintenance grasses with long durability and incredible health.
Different Types Of Grass In Florida
Buffalo Grass
Florida’s favored warm-season grass is Buffalo Grass, a resilient native North American grass that thrives in heat, drought, and cold.
Best for low-maintenance Florida lawns, it requires minimal water, fertilizer, and mowing.
The best planting time is between November and January, with February month.
Buffalo grass features curled leaves and brown seed heads that change into a golden-green hue during winter. By June, they dry and look like hay.
They are not suitable for high-traffic areas like playgrounds and sports fields.
Seashore Paspalum
Paspalum, a durable warm-season grass, thrives in coastal areas and flourishes on Florida golf courses. It’s shade-tolerant compared to Bermudagrass and Zoysia, thriving even in low-light conditions. Its rapid recovery keeps it green without overseeding.
Centipede Grass
Centipede grass (Eremochloa ophiuroides) grows slower but has uniform, coarse, deep green blades that reach 1.5 to 2 inches in height.
Its broad leaves produce a lush, dense look, making it best for low-maintenance lawns because it requires minimal care and growing nutrients.
This grass thrives in acidic, sandy soil, reducing the need for frequent mowing. However, it turns yellow in high-pH soils due to iron deficiency, which can be improved with soil amendments to lower the pH.
Perennial Ryegrass
Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) spreads quickly and is best for cooler seasons. Plant this grass in the fall for winter growth, but it requires ample fertilizer and water. In the summer, more irrigation is required to maintain its color. If it fades, overseeding can help to sustain a vibrant dark green.
Bahia Grass
Bahia grass is popular for Florida’s climate and is found in pastures, roadsides, and industrial lawns.
There are different types, like Argentina Bahia, with narrower leaves than Pensacola Bahia.
It is naturally resistant to cold, sun, drought, and stress and needs more irrigation for a healthy type of grass. It turns brown in winter to conserve energy but remains healthy.
Conclusion
Selecting the right grass seed for Florida’s unpredictable weather can be challenging. Consider planting in areas with tall trees for natural shade, which can help the lawn thrive despite the weather’s rapid changes.
