Choosing a type of grass for your property in North Texas is not an easy task.
If you have just moved into a new house and decided to grow grass in the property, there are some factors that you should consider before planting the seeds, to make sure it grows healthy in appropriate conditions.
Selecting the best grass for North Texas lawns depends on certain circumstances, such as:
- Predominant weather
- Sun exposure
- Watering requirements
- Maintenance
- Foot traffic
In this article, our lawn care experts at Purple Care will tell you how to choose the best grass for your lawn in North Texas, according to the types of grass that flourish in the area and their characteristics.
Types of Grass That Thrive in North Texas
Bermuda Grass
Bermuda grass kicks off our list for one distinct quality: it is brilliant at thriving in drought conditions and low-water environments.
Extreme temperatures that soar well over 100 degrees? Child’s play.
No rain over four straight months, and lakes are being well below expected levels? Doesn’t matter.
Bermuda grass has root systems that can grow over six feet long to seek out water and moisture.
In fact, it gets its nickname “Devil’s Grass” for its ability to persevere and continue to aggressively spread with almost weed-like efficiency.
Because Bermuda grass tends to grow so quickly, recovery from injury or heavy use is pretty simple as well.
This makes it a popular choice for golf courses throughout the southern United States. Some architects of golf courses revere it for its ability to grow quickly and completely change how a golf course plays throughout the day.
However, this aggressive spread is also an issue: Bermuda is known for getting into flower beds and gardens, overrunning flowers and other plants by consuming resources.
Fescue Grass
Have you ever seen a video of long, brilliantly green blades of grass on a hillside, making waves as they blow in the wind?
It’s a beautiful sight to behold, and it is perhaps the best example of what fescue grass is capable of when left on its own.
Fescue is known for its long, tall, and thin blades that can grow incredibly fast. It is also a great choice for those who want a lawn that is characterized by longer blades (recommended mowing height is anywhere between two and four inches in length).
However, fescue is also the only type of grass on this list that is known as a “cool” grass. It does great in shade, but it tends to suffer in excessive sunlight and extreme heat.
For that reason, it actually doesn’t work all that well throughout the overwhelming majority of the state. In fact, the DFW metroplex and areas just to the north, south, and east are pretty much the only areas where this type of grass really grows.
Zoysia Grass
Zoysia grass is probably the second-most common type of grass found across North Texas, second only to Bermuda.
It is a warm-weather grass that goes dormant during the winter months, but it does great in shady conditions, handles drought conditions with little difficulty, and handles traffic and heavy sustained use with little to no problem.
This makes it a great choice for golf courses and athletic fields as well as home lawns or commercial landscaping installations.
It also does pretty well in cold weather, meaning it will withstand the frigid cold of North Texas winters often without a scratch.
The biggest downside to zoysia is that it is typically a slower recuperator than other species. Wounds and problems are generally slower to recover with this type of lawn than others, and this means mistakes or faults tend to stand out.
Zoysia is also particularly hard on mowers. You’ll need to sharpen your mower blade a lot more often with this type of lawn because the blades are known for being coarser, stiffer, and harder on machinery.
St. Augustine Grass
St. Augustine is a widely popular type of warm-season turfgrass used throughout the southern United States.
It is known for its signature blue-green color, its thick blades of grass, and its several varieties that allow it to grow easily in a wide variety of different conditions.
For example, if your lawn receives a lot of shade, Palmetto St. Augustine might be the best widely available turfgrass on the market.
Certain strains are also renowned for their durability, their hardiness, and their ability to recover from injury, making them an ideal choice for golf courses and outdoor sports like soccer or baseball fields.
St. Augustine comes in a number of varieties, but varieties add complexity: The wrong type of St. Augustine grass could lead to frustration, as your lawn may die out or refuse to grow if conditions are not right.
Likewise, St. Augustine is a pretty thirsty type of grass. However, with regular watering from an optimal irrigation system, this type of grass makes a flourishing home lawn.
Centipede Grass
Centipede grass might be the most unique and atypical type of grass on this list because it is quite a bit different from virtually any other type of grass out there.
Centipede grass gets its name from the fact that its blades look like little centipedes crawling along the ground.
No, that doesn’t mean it has tons of tiny little legs that sprout from each blade, but it does mean that the blades themselves grow sideways. Yes, centipede grass is a type of grass that naturally grows flat.
This type of growth pattern has huge advantages when it comes to maintenance. Centipede grass needs far less frequent trimming than other types of grass, and it continues to look great even when it hasn’t been cut for quite a while.
It also needs less feeding and treatment than other types of grass, although you probably will need some pretty sharp mower blades to make sure you’re properly trimming it.
However, this comes with a trade-off: Centipede grass requires a lot of water. In fact, it isn’t recommended for anywhere that receives less than 40 inches of annual rainfall.
While it is renowned for being drought-tolerant, it also doesn’t do well in areas that receive a decent amount of shade.
Homes with one or two large trees on their property might want to consider a type of grass that does fairly well in shady conditions over this type of turf.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Which grass grows better in Texas heat?
Bermuda grass is a great option considering the Texas heat. This is a warm-season grass that is highly heat-tolerant, but it is not tolerant of shade. St. Augustine and centipede grass are other popular options, though St. Augustine needs other maintenance requirements like fertilizing and mowing frequently, and centipede does not grow well with heavy foot traffic.
2. What kind of grass grows in the shade in North Texas?
St. Augustine and Zoysia are shade-tolerant and grow better in lawns with a considerable amount of shade. Varieties of these types are drought-tolerant, and they perform well with little amounts of sun, yet thrive in hot weather.
3. Why are Bermuda and Zoysia grass considered invasive?
Bermuda and zoysia are invasive types of grass because of their fast growth and capacity to expand quickly. When these grass types do not receive proper maintenance, they can be difficult to control.
Have You Made Your Choice?
You have plenty of options to choose the best grass for your North Texas lawn.
If you’re having a hard time deciding, we understand. With so many factors to balance and consider, choosing an option might be stressful.
But don’t worry. At Purple Care, we can help you choose the best turf option according to your needs and your lawn’s characteristics.
We also provide professional lawn care services to maintain your lawn beautiful and healthy throughout the year.
If you want to learn more about our lawn care services throughout the Fort Worth area, call the team at Purple Care at (817) 934-5270 today!
