Common Grass Types
Grass types are divided into two categories: warm-season and cool-season. Warm-season grasses that are planted in spring grow best in dry, hot climates; some varieties are drought-resistant while others need regular watering. Cool-season grasses grow well where temperatures fall below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. When choosing what type of lawn grass to plant, consider climate, location, soil pH and drainage to determine what will grow best in your yard.
Warm-season grasses enter winter dormancy and lose their green color when soil or air temperatures drop to about 55 degrees Fahrenheit. If the thermometer remains below 32 degrees Fahrenheit for extended periods, some turf grasses may die. Color reappears as soil warms up in the spring. These grasses grows best in steady summertime temperatures between 80 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Types of warm-season grasses include Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon), a vigorous, low-growing perennial with rhizomes and stolons; turf is semi-drought resistant, and most varieties are best suited for U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 to 10. Buffalo grass (Buchloe dactyloides), suited to USDA zones 5 to 8, spreads by stolons and seeds but has no rhizomes; its blue-green blades grow up to 10 inches high and are drought-resistant. Zoysia grasses (Zoysia spp.), hardy in USDA zones 7 to 10, produce rhizomes and stolons; turf is drought-tolerant and grows from seeds, sprigs or sod.
Cool-season grasses typically grow in USDA zones 1 to 7. But some species, such as tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea), grow well in Mediterranean climates and are commonly used as lawn grass in USDA zones 8 to 10. Turf stays green during dormancy but, depending on species, grasses usually grow when the temperature is between 59 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Common cool-season grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) and tall fescue may go dormant in hot weather, so they need regular watering and fertilizing.
In addition to lawns and median road strip areas, warm-season and cool-season grasses grow on athletic fields, playgrounds, parks and golf courses. Zoysia, for example, tolerates heat, shade and foot traffic. Buffalo grass is suited for golf courses, cemeteries, school grounds, parks and roadsides but usually does not hold up well under heavy machinery. Kentucky bluegrass is often used as pasture land for cattle, horses and other farm animals, because turf replaces itself quickly after grazing. Bent grass (Agrostis spp.), with short, thin, green-blue blades, is mostly grown on golf putting greens.
Grass blades consist of roots, leaves, stems and seed heads, which are often removed upon mowing. Most cool-season grass leaves each have a blade, collar area and sheath. Blades are long and thin. Stems may grow into rhizomes and stolons. Warm-season grasses most often spread by seed, stolons or surface runners.
- University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources: Seasonal Growth Pattern of Grasses
- Sunset: Grass Type
- Ohio State University Extension: Cool-Season Turfgrasses for Sports Fields and Recreational Areas
- University of California Extension: Pests in Gardens and Landscapes: Bermudagrass
- Lawn Care Academy: What is a Warm Season Grass?
- Aggie Horticulture: Buffalograss
- Aggie Horticulture: Zoysiagrass
- Penn State University College of Agricultural Sciences: The Cool-Season Turfgrasses: Basic Structures, Growth and Development
- Penn State University College of Agricultural Sciences: Kentucky Bluegrass
- USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service: Planting Guide: Bermudagrass
- American Lawns: Types of Grasses Found in America
- University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources: Lawn Diseases: Prevention and Management: Table 1: Common Lawn Diseases in California
- California Lawns
- University of Missouri Extension: Cool-Season Grasses: Lawn Maintenance Calendar
- Penn State University College of Agricultural Sciences: The Cool-Season Turfgrasses: Identification
- Purdue University Extension: New Crop Resource Program: Cool-Season Grass Seed Production
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