What is the Best Turf Grass for North Texas?

There is not a perfect turf grass for North Texas.  The most common turf grasses for lawns in North Texas include Bermuda, St. Augustine, and Zoysias.

Common Bermuda grass is the most popular.  It is inexpensive, easy to install, holds up well to foot traffic, and has a pleasant appearance.  Common Bermuda is not shade tolerant.  It requires approximately six (6) hours of sunlight.  Common Bermuda grows easily, and spreads.  It will invade your planting beds if you do not have a barrier.  It can be planted from seeds or sod.  Bermuda can stand up to our hot summer sun and is also very winter-hearty.

St. Augustine grass is the next most popular.  It is also inexpensive, easy to install, an holds up fairly well to foot traffic, but not as well as Common Bermuda.  The appearance is pleasant and it has a thicker blade than Common Bermuda.  St. Augustine is more shade tolerant than Common Bermuda, and requires only four (4) hours of sunlight.  St. Augustine grows easily, and spreads.  It is also invasive to your planting beds if you do not have a barrier.  St. Augustine can only be planted as sod.  St. Augustine is the lion of the grasses.  St. Augustine will over-take Bermuda or Zoysias.  St. Augustine needs more water than Bermuda, can stand up to our hot summer sun, but is not as winter-hearty as Bermuda.

Zoysias are still being tested.  Zoysia is showing promise, as it is in between the Common Bermuda, and St. Augustine.  So far, it can stand up to our hot summer heat, and has been cold tolerant.  Zoysia is not as shade tolerant as St. Augustine, but is more shade tolerant than Common Bermuda.  Unfortunately, there is just not enough experience with Zoysia to name it as a great grass for North Texas.  It will take at least another decade to determine the ranking for Zoysia in North Texas.