TURFGRASSES
WARM-SEASON TURFGRASS
BERMUDAGRASS
(Cynodon dactylon)
BERMUDAGRASS
(Cynodon dactylon)
BERMUDAGRASS
(Cynodon dactylon)

Rhizomes and stolons
BERMUDAGRASS
(Cynodon dactylon)


High maintenance
Golf and athletic fields
BERMUDAGRASS
(Cynodon dactylon)

Lawns
BERMUDAGRASS
(Cynodon dactylon)

Weed
BERMUDAGRASS
(Cynodon dactylon)
Full sun (6 hours)
Poor shade tolerance
‘Tifgrand’ and ‘Celebration’ much
better shade tolerance
BERMUDAGRASS
(Cynodon dactylon)

Very good wear tolerance
BERMUDAGRASS
(Cynodon dactylon)

Very good drought recovery
BERMUDAGRASS
(Cynodon dactylon)

Very good salt tolerance
BERMUDAGRASS
(Cynodon dactylon)
Seed
 Hybrids are sprigged

BERMUDAGRASS
(Cynodon dactylon)
Many cultivars
 Mid- and tif- varieties


Tifway, Tifeagle, Tifsport, Midway,
Midiron
ZOYSIAGRASS (Zoysia
japonica)
ZOYSIAGRASS (Zoysia
japonica)
ZOYSIAGRASS (Zoysia
japonica)

Rhizomes and stolons
ZOYSIAGRASS (Zoysia
japonica)

Rhizomes and stolons
ZOYSIAGRASS (Zoysia
japonica)

Transition zone turf
ZOYSIAGRASS (Zoysia
japonica)
Fair shade tolerance
‘Shadow Turf’
ZOYSIAGRASS (Zoysia
japonica)

High quality, dense turf (out competes
weeds)
ZOYSIAGRASS (Zoysia
japonica)

Reel mower to avoid scalping?
ZOYSIAGRASS (Zoysia
japonica)

Slow spreading
ZOYSIAGRASS (Zoysia
japonica)

Seed has slow germination

Typically established by sod
ZOYSIAGRASS (Zoysia
japonica)
Several cultivars: Zenith, Empire,
Zeon…
 Emerald is a hybrid of Z. japonica and
Z. tenufolia

ST. AUGUSTINE
(Stenotaphrum secundatum)
ST. AUGUSTINE
(Stenotaphrum secundatum)

Stolons only
ST. AUGUSTINE
(Stenotaphrum secundatum)
Premier shade turf (shade tolerance varies)
 At least 4 hours sun
 ‘Totality’ complete shade?

ST. AUGUSTINE
(Stenotaphrum secundatum)

Establish by sod or plugs only

Seed not available
ST. AUGUSTINE
(Stenotaphrum secundatum)
Chinch bugs, Brown patch, Root rot
 Mole crickets?

ST. AUGUSTINE
(Stenotaphrum secundatum)
Bitterblue, Floratine, Floratam,
Raleigh, Palmetto
 Resistance variation

CENTIPEDEGRASS
(Eremochloa ophiuroides)
CENTIPEDEGRASS
(Eremochloa ophiuroides)
CENTIPEDEGRASS
(Eremochloa ophiuroides)
Stolons only
 Centipedegrass

CENTIPEDEGRASS
(Eremochloa ophiuroides)

Middle of road turf (shade, traffic, and
drought)
CENTIPEDEGRASS
(Eremochloa ophiuroides)
Prefers low fertility
– otherwise, thatch build-up
CENTIPEDEGRASS
(Eremochloa ophiuroides)

Winterkill from high fertility and thatch

‘Centipedegrass decline’
CENTIPEDEGRASS
(Eremochloa ophiuroides)

Light green color
CENTIPEDEGRASS
(Eremochloa ophiuroides)
Poor salt tolerance
CENTIPEDEGRASS
(Eremochloa ophiuroides)

Seed is expensive! ($20/pound)
CENTIPEDEGRASS
(Eremochloa ophiuroides)
Sod anytime of
the year
CENTIPEDEGRASS
(Eremochloa ophiuroides)

Oklawn and Tifblair cultivars

Better winter tolerance
BAHIAGRASS (Paspalum
notatum)
BAHIAGRASS (Paspalum
notatum)
BAHIAGRASS (Paspalum
notatum)

Rhizomes/stolons
BAHIAGRASS (Paspalum
notatum)
Use on poor, sandy soils
 Highway grass
 Grazing

BAHIAGRASS (Paspalum
notatum)

Very drought tolerant
BAHIAGRASS (Paspalum
notatum)

Poor salt tolerance
BAHIAGRASS (Paspalum
notatum)

Low density
BAHIAGRASS (Paspalum
notatum)

Most of all, it’s a WEED!

Seed stalks and coarse stolons
CARPETGRASS (Axonopus
affinis)
CARPETGRASS (Axonopus
affinis)
CARPETGRASS (Axonopus
affinis)

Stolons only (short)
CARPETGRASS (Axonopus
affinis)

Great for low maintenance in wet,
shady areas
CARPETGRASS (Axonopus
affinis)

Poor drought, salt, and cold
CARPETGRASS (Axonopus
affinis)

Seed stalks not as
objectionable as bahia
CARPETGRASS (Axonopus
affinis)

Seed mix with centipede as a
nursegrass
SEASHORE PASPALUM
(Paspalum vaginatum)
SEASHORE PASPALUM
(Paspalum vaginatum)
SEASHORE PASPALUM
(Paspalum vaginatum)

Much like bermudagrass (less cold
hardy)
SEASHORE PASPALUM
(Paspalum vaginatum)
Rhizome and stolon
SEASHORE PASPALUM
(Paspalum vaginatum)

Excellent salt
tolerance
SEASHORE PASPALUM
(Paspalum vaginatum)

Little better shade
tolerance than
Bermuda
BUFFALO GRASS (Buchloe
dactyloides)
BUFFALO GRASS (Buchloe
dactyloides)

Arid to semi-arid
BUFFALO GRASS (Buchloe
dactyloides)

Stolons only
BUFFALO GRASS (Buchloe
dactyloides)

Low maintenance (low water and N)
BUFFALO GRASS (Buchloe
dactyloides)

Poor shade and traffic tolerance
COOL-SEASON
TURFGRASS
RYEGRASS (Lolium spp.)
RYEGRASS (Lolium spp.)
RYEGRASS (Lolium spp.)

Bunch-type
RYEGRASS (Lolium spp.)

Rapid germination (few days)
RYEGRASS (Lolium spp.)
Annual and Perennial
 Overseeding and nursegrass

Lawn, golf course, athletic fields

RYEGRASS (Lolium spp.)

Poor cutting quality
RYEGRASS (Lolium spp.)

Great striping effect
RYEGRASS (Lolium spp.)

Great striping effect
BLUEGRASS (Poa spp.)
BLUEGRASS (Poa spp.)
BLUEGRASS (Poa spp.)
Kentucky bluegrass most common
turf in cool-season regions
 (Annual bluegrass is a weed)

BLUEGRASS (Poa spp.)

Rhizomes only, great sod (Kentucky)
BLUEGRASS (Poa spp.)

Good drought tolerance (summer
dormancy)
BLUEGRASS (Poa spp.)

Rough bluegrass (Poa trivialis) golf
course overseeding
FESCUE (Festuca spp.)
FESCUE (Festuca spp.)

Transition zone
FESCUE (Festuca spp.)


Tall fescue is often very coarse
Improved turf-turf tall fescue
FESCUE (Festuca spp.)

Tall fescue Bunch-type

Tillers only
FESCUE (Festuca spp.)


Insect tolerant (endophyte-enhanced)
Endophytes are symbiotic fungus within turf

Toxic to grazing
FESCUE (Festuca spp.)


Fine fescue is fine texture
The cool-season shade turf
FESCUE (Festuca spp.)
BENTGRASS (Agrostis spp.)
BENTGRASS (Agrostis spp.)
BENTGRASS (Agrostis spp.)

High quality cool-season turf
 Golf course, not in lawns
 Penn- cultivars