TURF DEMONSTRATION VARIETIES
Buffalograss ‘609’
HABITURF ™
Zoysiagrass
‘Palisades’
St. Augustine ‘605’
Hybrid
Trait
Buchloe dactyloides
Zoysia japonica
Summary
Used at President
Bush’s home in
Crawford, Texas
Natural prairie look
with little mowing.
Must be vigilant in
weeding.
Used as front lawn of
Bush Presidential
Center at SMU in
Dallas
Season
Warm
Stenotaphrum
secundatum
New low-water variety
developed by TAMU,
not yet on market
Forms dense, thick
lawn with long roots.
Crowds out weeds.
Susceptible to
diseases & insects.
Warm
Shade tolerance
Low
Water needs
Very Low
Replicates shortgrass
prairies. Thrives with
minimal mowing.
Vigilant weeding
required
Warm
A Zoysia for standard
lawn mowing and
maintenance.
Not as shade tolerant
as St. Augustine. Few
disease/insect
problems.
Warm
Low –Needs 5 hours
direct sun
Very Low
Moderate
Traffic tolerance Low
Cold tolerance
High
Low
High
Disease/insects
Low
Low
Moderate-high
Moderate (sufficient
for DFW)
Low-moderate (takeall patch and large
patch)
Mowing
frequency
7-30 days, if mowed
7-30 days if mowed
Moderate
5-10 days
(Z. matrella for golf
courses requires
special mowing.)
High- needs 3-4 hours
direct sun
Moderate. Water
infrequently & deeply
Low
Low
Tall Fescue ‘Rebel’
or ‘Falcon V’ turftype
Festuca arundinacea
Grass for cool weather.
Looks like bluegrass.
Grows fall to spring.
Choose turf-type.
Mixes available.
Cool-Summer
dormancy (browning)
High
High
Moderate-high
High
High (chinch bugs,
Brown patch disease
take-all & large patch) in summer
May have resistance
to grey-leaf spot
5-7 days
5-10 days
TURF DEMONSTRATION VARIETIES
Buffalograss ‘609’
HABITURF ™
Zoysiagrass
‘Palisades’
St. Augustine ‘605’
Hybrid
Mowing height
Leaf texture
Seed/sod
> 4 inches
Fine blue-green
Solid sod. Plant
anytime. No plugs
Yes
1-2 inches
Medium
Solid sod. Less likely
to allow weed growth
because zoysia grows
very slowly. Plant
anytime. Purchase
grass grown for
Dallas, not Houston,
area.
No
2.5-3 inches
Coarse
Sod or sod plugs.
Plant anytime.
Texas native
3-6 inches
Fine
Seed. 3-4 lbs per 1000
sq. ft. Plant late April
to mid-Sept. Seed
available from
Douglass King Co.
(dkseeds.com) and
Johnson Wildflower
Center
Mix of native
buffalograss Buchloe
dactyloides, blue
grama B.gracilis, curly
mesquite Hilaria
belangeri. Developed
by UT/Johnson
Wildflower Center.
No
Tall Fescue ‘Rebel’
or ‘Falcon V’ turftype
3-4 inches
Medium-fine
Seed. 8-10 lbs per
1000 sq. ft. Plant midlate September when
soil is warm and temps
have moderated.
Note: Do not purchase
‘Kentucky 31’ variety
for Dallas!
No
North Texas suppliers: A-1 Grass Sand and Stone (Dallas area), Trinity Turf Nursery (Pilot Point) and Tri-Tex Grass (Tioga, Granbury). For more information
visit https://aggieturf.tamu.edu or wildflower.org/habiturf or our blog www.dallasgardenbuzz.com. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension does not endorse or
recommend commercial nurseries.