Choosing the right type of grass is one of the most important decisions you can make for the exterior of your property. The type of grass to plant for lawns in Broward County is ultimately a personal choice but there are a few properties of a grass you may want to consider which may affect the look of your property and your lawn care needs.

When choosing the species of grass for your lawn you may want to look beyond physical appearance  of the grass and consider other factors which might contribute to your lawn care needs. Shade, salinity, heat, and draught tolerance are all important factors to understand whether the grass will survive in the conditions present in your lawn. You may also want to consider mowing height, nitrogen requirements, water use, wear resistance, and thatching tendency when selecting a grass as this will determine the amount of maintenance required to keep your lawn looking beautiful.

No matter which grass you choose, Lawncierge can help you keep your lawn healthy and looking great!

1. St. Augustinegrass

Stenotaphrum secundatum

Leaf Texture: Coarse
Establish Rate: Average
Nitrogen Use: Low
Water Use: Low
Drought Tolerance: Average
Salinity Tolerance: Average
Shade Tolerance: Very Low
Fertilizer Needs: Low
Wear Resistance: Low
Mowing Height: High
Cold Tolerance: High
Acidic Soil Tolerance: Low
Thatching Tendency: Low
Heat Tolerance: High

St. Augustine grass is a warm-season lawn grass that is popular for cultivation in tropical and subtropical regions making it a popular choice for lawns in Broward County. It is a medium- to high-maintenance grass that forms a thick, carpet-like sod which often crowds out most weeds and other grasses. You may sometimes see St. Augustine referred to as buffalo turf if you’re talking to an Australian.

St. Augustine is a dark green grass with broad, flat blades. It spreads by above ground stolons –  commonly known as “runners” or horizontal connections between plants – and forms a dense layer. St. Augustine grass is commonly used in pastures and on ranches.

St. Augustinegrass is pretty easy to maintain. The advantages of St. Augustinegrass are that it produces a beautiful green to blue-green, dense turf. It’s well adapted to the soils and climate in Florida with a relatively good salt tolerance, and above average shade tolerance . St. Augustinegrass establishes quickly and easily and may be planted as sod, sprigs, or plugs. St. Augustinegrass has the disadvantage of requiring a lot of water and being susceptible to pest problems. It requires a lot of water to remain green and healthy and may require supplemental irrigation during extended dry periods.

2. Buffalograss

Buchloe dactyloides

Leaf Texture: Coarse
Establish Rate: Average
Nitrogen Use: Low
Water Use: Low
Drought Tolerance: Very High
Salinity Tolerance: Average
Shade Tolerance: Very Low
Fertilizer Needs: Low
Wear Resistance: Low
Mowing Height: High
Cold Tolerance: High
Acidic Soil Tolerance: Low
Thatching Tendency: Low
Heat Tolerance: High

Buffalo Grass, or buffalograss, is a North American prairie grass with habitats stretching from Canada and the United States to Mexico. It is a shortgrass found mainly on the High Plains and is co-dominant with Blue Grama over most of the shortgrass prairie. Note that Buffalo Grass in North America is not the same species of grass commonly known as “buffalo” in Australia.

Buffalograss is a warm-season perennial shortgrass. It is drought-, heat-, and cold-resistant. Foliage is usually 2.0–5.1 inches (5–13 cm) high, though in the southern Great Plains, foliage may reach up to a foot (30 cm). Buffalograss is usually dioecious – meaning having distinct male and female plants – but sometimes monoecious or with perfect flowers. Buffalograss sends out numerous, branching stolons; occasionally, it also produces rhizomes or creeping rootstalks. The numerous stolons and roots form a dense sod; Buffalograss roots are finer than those of most plains grasses.

3. Bermuda Grass

Cynodon dactylon

Leaf Texture: Fine to Average
Establish Rate: Fast
Nitrogen Use: Average
Water Use: Average
Drought Tolerance: Very High
Salinity Tolerance: Average
Shade Tolerance: Very Low
Fertilizer Needs: Low
Wear Resistance: Low
Mowing Height: High
Cold Tolerance: High
Acidic Soil Tolerance: Low
Thatching Tendency: Low
Heat Tolerance: High

Bermuda Grass – also known as dog’s tooth grass, Bahama grass, devil’s grass, couch grass, Indian doab, arugampul, grama, wiregrass and scutch grass – is a grass that originated in Africa. Although it is not native to Bermuda, it is an abundant species there. It is presumed to have arrived in North America from Bermuda, resulting in its common name.

Bermuda grass grows fast and tough, making it popular and useful for high wear lawns and sports fields, as when damaged it will recover quickly. It is a highly desirable turf grass in warm temperate climates, particularly for those regions where its heat and drought tolerance enable it to survive where few other grasses making it popular in Broward County. This combination makes it a frequent choice for golf courses in the southern and southeastern U.S.

Bermuda grass thrives in hot weather but performs poorly in shade. Bermuda grasses spread so rapidly by both above and below ground runners. If fertilized adequately, they require frequent mowing. The Bermuda grasses are adapted to Broward County and tolerate a wide soil pH.

4. Bahia Grass

Paspalum notatum

Leaf Texture: Very Coarse
Establish Rate: Average
Nitrogen Use: Low
Water Use: Low
Drought Tolerance: Very High
Salinity Tolerance: Very High
Shade Tolerance: Average
Fertilizer Needs: Low
Wear Resistance: Medium
Mowing Height: High
Cold Tolerance: Low
Acidic Soil Tolerance: Low
Thatching Tendency: Medium
Heat Tolerance: High

Bahiagrass, also known as common bahia and Pensacola bahia, is a tropical to subtropical perennial grass known for its prominent V-shape. This grass is low-growing and creeping with stolons and stout, scaly rhizomes. The stolons are pressed firmly to the ground and root freely forming a dense sod. The flat, tough-textured leaves are usually hairless.

Bahia grass is native to Mexico and South America, but has been naturalized elsewhere in North America and in other regions. It prefers sandy soils and is tolerant of shade. It is also fairly hardy, tolerating saline conditions and drought. This grass is used primarily as a forage for grazing livestock and is also valued as an erosion-controlling soil stabilizer.

Bahia can be found throughout Florida on roadsides, pastures and industrial type lawn situations. It is often used in areas of lower maintenance type lawns, as it is overall is the most drought tolerant grass for use in Broward County. It is a popular choice in Broward County for its productivity, ease of establishment, and persistence. It makes for low-maintenance lawn care with its minimal maintenance requirements, drought tolerance, and is more disease and insect damage averse than some of the other warm-season grasses.

5. Centipede Grass

Eremochloa ophiuroides

Leaf Texture: Coarse
Establish Rate: Slow
Nitrogen Use: Low
Water Use: Low
Drought Tolerance: Average
Salinity Tolerance: Average
Shade Tolerance: Average
Fertilizer Needs: Low
Wear Resistance: Low
Mowing Height: Average
Cold Tolerance: Average
Acidic Soil Tolerance: High
Thatching Tendency: Medium
Heat Tolerance: High

Centipedegrass is the ideal grass for the homeowner who wants an attractive lawn that needs little lawn care and maintenance. Centipedegrass is a warm season lawn grass. It is a thick sod forming grass that spreads by stolons, and is medium to light green colored. It has a coarse texture with short upright seedhead stems that grow to about 3-5 inches. Centipedegrass is originally native to Southern China and was introduced to the United States in 1916. It has since become one of the common grasses in Broward County.

Centipedegrass is a low maintenance grass which requires infrequent mowing. Centipedegrass has average shade tolerance, low fertilization requirements, and fares well in sandy and acidic soils. It does however have limited wear tolerance and has poor drought tolerance due to its shallow roots. Centipedegrass survives in mild cold temperatures as long as there aren’t several hard freezes since it is unable to go into a true dormancy. With light freezes it may turn brown but will eventually recover and turn green as the temperature rises. Centipede does not require much fertilizer or mowing, and compared to other lawn grasses, is generally resistant to most insects and diseases. It will respond to good management and provide a very attractive turf.

During summer months soil moisture should be monitored. Centipede grass should only be watered when stressed, and only when the soil can be watered four to six inches. When healthy, this full sun and shade tolerant grass is aggressive enough to choke out weeds and other grasses. Centipede is subject to issues that can be easily prevented by proper lawn maintenance. This includes care not to over-fertilize, prevention of thatch accumulation, and maintaining a mowing height of 1-1 1/2 inches.

6. Zoysia Grass

Zoysia japonica

Leaf Texture: Fine
Establish Rate: Slow
Nitrogen Use: Average
Water Use: Average
Drought Tolerance: Very High
Salinity Tolerance: Average
Shade Tolerance: Average
Fertilizer Needs: Low
Wear Resistance: Average
Mowing Height: Low
Cold Tolerance: High
Acidic Soil Tolerance: Average
Thatching Tendency: Average
Heat Tolerance: High

Zoysia is a genus of creeping grasses native to Japan and Korea commonly called zoysia or zoysiagrass found in coastal areas or grasslands. While Zoysia is widespread across much of Asia, Australia, and Pacific Islands, it is also a popular choice for Broward County due to its similar weather and topography. It is named after the Slovenian botanist Karl von Zois.

Some types of zoysia are available commercially as sod in some areas. In typical savanna climates with warm wet and dry seasons such as Broward County, zoysia grasses grow during the warm-wet summer and are dormant in the drier, cooler winter months. They are popular because of their fine texture, soft feel, and low growth habit. They can form dense mats and even mounds that grow over low features. In contrast to St. Augustine grass, they generally require less fertilization and are less vulnerable to insect and fungus damage, depending on environmental conditions. It makes cushion like surface/turf that grows slowly and requires less frequent mowing.

Because it can tolerate a wide range of temperatures, sunlight, and water, Zoysia is widely used for lawns in Broward County with temperate climates. It’s often used on golf course fairways and teeing areas. Zoysia grasses stop erosion on slopes, are excellent at repelling weeds throughout the year, resists disease, and holds up well under foot traffic. That being said, Zoysia grows very slowly when compared to other grasses. Zoysia forms an excellent turf when properly managed. For the best appearance, most zoysias require cutting with a reel mower, periodic dethatching, and more frequent irrigation than other warm season turf-grasses. The zoysias form a dense, attractive turf in full sun and partial shade, but may thin out in dense shade.

The Zoysia grasses are somewhat slower to completely cover a lawn and are thus more costly to establish. They are somewhat less drought-tolerant than other grasses and therefore recommended for lawn use only when the homeowner is willing to provide the required maintenance.

7. Blue Grama

Bouteloua gracilis

Leaf Texture: Moderate
Establish Rate: Average
Nitrogen Use: Low
Water Use: Low
Drought Tolerance: Very High
Salinity Tolerance: Average
Shade Tolerance: Very Low
Fertilizer Needs: Low
Wear Resistance: Low
Mowing Height: High
Cold Tolerance: High
Acidic Soil Tolerance: Low
Thatching Tendency: Low
Heat Tolerance: High

Blue Grama is a long-lived, warm-season perennial grass native to North America. It is most commonly found from Alberta, Canada, east to Manitoba and south across the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, and U.S. Midwest states, onto the northern Mexican Plateau in Mexico. Given its proclivity for warm weather it can also found in plenty of lawns in Broward County. Blue Grama accounts for most of the agricultural productivity in the shortgrass prairie of the central and southern Great Plains. It is a green or greyish, low-growing, drought-tolerant grass with limited maintenance.

Successful establishment requires a modest amount of soil moisture during the extension and development of roots. Established plants are grazing tolerant, cold tolerant, and drought-tolerant, though prolonged drought leads to a reduction in extent. They employ an opportunistic water-use strategy, rapidly using water when available, and becoming dormant during less-favorable conditions.

8. Carpet Grass

Axonopus fissifolius

Leaf Texture: Coarse
Establish Rate: Average
Nitrogen Use: Low
Water Use: High
Drought Tolerance: Low
Salinity Tolerance: Low
Shade Tolerance: Very High
Fertilizer Needs: Low
Wear Resistance: Average
Mowing Height: Low
Cold Tolerance: Medium
Acidic Soil Tolerance: Medium
Thatching Tendency: High
Heat Tolerance: Low

Carpet Grass is a genus of plants in the grass family known as carpet grass. They are native to the tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas with one species in tropical Africa and another on Easter Island.

Carpetgrass is a perennial, coarse-leaved, creeping grass which grows well in Broward County. It grows better on low, wet soils than do other grasses and will grow well in either sun or shade but is less shade tolerant than other similar grasses Carpetgrass may be planted by seed or sprigs. It is not winter hardy but fares well in Broward County.

Carpetgrass is recommended only for lawns in Broward County that are on wet, low fertility, acid, sandy soils where ease of establishment and care is more important than quality.

9. Seashore Paspalum

Paspalum vaginatum

Leaf Texture: Average
Establish Rate: Average
Nitrogen Use: Average
Water Use: Average
Drought Tolerance: Very High
Salinity Tolerance: Very High
Shade Tolerance: Average
Fertilizer Needs: Average
Wear Resistance: Average
Mowing Height: Low
Cold Tolerance: Average
Acidic Soil Tolerance: Low
Thatching Tendency: Average
Heat Tolerance: High

Seashore Paspalum is a species of grass known by many names, including biscuit grass, saltwater couch, silt grass, and swamp couch. It is native to the Americas and is found throughout the other tropical areas of the world, where it is an introduced specie. It is also cultivated as a turfgrass in many places such as Broward County.

It forms a higher quality turf than other grasses in poor conditions such as wet soils, low light levels, and low nitrogen soil. It can grow in highly saturated lawns in Broward County that receive rain over 250 days per year as it can survive being waterlogged or submerged for several days at a time. It holds up to foot traffic well. The main advantage of this grass is that it is very salt-tolerant. It can be irrigated with non-potable water which is important in areas where there are restrictions on water use. The grass can even be irrigated with saltwater, though  will be lower in quality than that irrigated with potable water. Given its high salt tolerance, it is often found next to oceans in places that receive sea spray. It is also more competitive against weeds than similar grasses.

Seashore Paspalum has outstanding turf quality, a bright green color, and a beautiful, uniform appearance. Ideal for temperate or hot, humid coastal climates, Seashore Paspalum also affords excellent drought tolerance and good shade tolerance.