Texas has a diverse climate and different soil types that can grow a variety of turfgrasses. There are various and specific regions that turfgrasses adapt better within. Here are the turfgrass varieties and groundcovers that are grown in Texas:
Breakdown by Turf Type in Texas (Approximate Estimates)
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Bermudagrass – 60–70% (lawns, sports fields, golf courses, pastures)
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St. Augustinegrass – 20–25% (lawns, especially in humid and shaded areas)
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Zoysiagrass – 5–10% (higher-end residential lawns and golf courses)
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Buffalograss and Native Grasses – <5% (drought-tolerant landscapes)
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Tall Fescue – <5% (primarily in North Texas and transition zone areas)
Growing Bermudagrass in Texas
Bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) has a long history in Texas, dating back to the 18th century, and has adapted well to the diverse climates that occur in most of the state. Although it is not a native grass of Texas, it originated in Africa and India and made its way to the United States through European colonization of the Southwest.
In the early 1900s, bermudagrass was grown as a forage crop to feed cattle. However, farmers were growing concerned about bermudagrass becoming a weed in row crops due to its aggressive growth and drought tolerance. Texas A&M University started to study turfgrass and develop more varieties that would work for the state through the work of Dr. Glenn Burton, USDA-ARS of Tifton, GA. Since the 1940s, more improved varieties have been developed that meet the needs of lawns, sports fields, and golf courses.
Bermudagrass is a great choice for many situations. It is commonly used in home lawns, golf courses (including putting greens), sports fields, and roadsides. It is very drought-tolerant. This does not mean it will stay green throughout a month-long drought, but it will most certainly bounce back once rain falls again. Bermudagrass stands up to traffic, recovers quickly, can handle a variety of soil conditions, and survive in otherwise undesirable locations.
Although a great grass type, there are negative aspects of bermudagrass. First, if there are places where you don’t want it growing, you will have to be diligent with your prevention/eradication program. It can be hard to get rid of, and if you have heavily shaded areas in your yard, there are better grasses to choose from. At a bare minimum, you’ll want to ensure it receives 6-hours of quality sunlight per day.
Additionally, bermudagrass does not perform well in areas with extreme winters. Winter injury can occur from low-temperature exposure, desiccation from lack of water, and disease. Spring dead spot is something that is always in play with transition zone bermudagrass lawns, preventative fungicide applications made in the fall help combat this.
Best Regions For Bermudagrass in Texas:
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North Texas: Dallas - Fort Worth, Lubbock, Amarillo, Wichita Falls
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Central Texas: Austin, San Antonio, Waco
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West Texas: Midland, El Paso, Lubbock, Abilene
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South Texas: Corpus Christi, Laredo, Brownsville
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East Texas: Houston, Beaumont, Tyler, Longview
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Gulf Coast: Galveston, Corpus Christi, Port Arthur
Growing St. Augustinegrass in Texas
St. Augustine is one of the most widely used turfgrasses in the entire state of Texas. It is very prominent in humid and coastal regions. St. Augustine dates back centuries growing within the state and remains popular due to its shade tolerance, dense growth, and adaptation to the climate within Texas regions.
St. Augustine is a great choice for lawns in Texas that receive a lot of shade. It is a relatively low-maintenance grass type and grows well on the gulf coast.
This type of turfgrass has a coarse leaf texture but doesn’t provide a low-cut variety, making it unusable for sports fields and putting surfaces on golf courses. When proper maintenance is not performed, the plant becomes thatchy, and some varieties are susceptible to St. Augustine Decline (SAD) and must be selected with this possibility in mind. Raleigh, Palmetto, and Floratam are the top three (3) cultivars least susceptible to SAD. Chinch bugs, mole crickets, grubs, gray leaf spot, and Rhizoctonia are other common problems on St. Augustinegrass. St. Augustine’s lack of cold tolerance limits its use in the transition zone and northern areas of the Southeast U.S.
Best Regions for St. Augustinegrass In Texas:
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East Texas: Houston, Beaumont, Tyler, Longview, Lufkin, Nacogdoches
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Gulf Coast: Galveston, Corpus Christi, Port Arthur, South Padre Island
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North Texas: DFW, Abilene, Wichita Falls, Denton
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Central Texas: Austin, San Antonio, Waco, Hill Country
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South Texas: (Laredo, Brownsville, McAllen, Victoria)
Growing Zoysiagrass In Texas
Zoysiagrass (Zoysia spp.) is a warm-season grass that grows well in Texas regions due to its drought resistance, shade tolerance, and dense growth habit. Researchers at Texas A&M University and other institutions began testing Zoysiagrass for turf use, recognizing its ability to handle heat & moderate drought, tolerate more shade than Bermudagrass, and grow in a dense, carpet-like mat. Zoysiagrass can be easily mistaken for bermudagrass. The key differences between the two include the rolled vernation of zoysia and the lack of dew apparent on cooler, humid mornings.
Zoysiagrass does better in shaded areas than bermudagrass, but not as well as tall fescue or St. Augustinegrass. It’s great for southern, shady lawns that receive adequate irrigation. It will tolerate drought by going dormant and returning once water is available. Zoysiagrass has some of the best tolerance to cold of all the warm-season grasses. Once established, it forms a very dense lawn.
However, Zoysiagrass can be hard to establish. Seed germination can take much longer than other grass types. Zoysiagrass grows very slowly and sodding is the fastest way of achieving a lush zoysiagrass lawn.
More homeowners, golf course managers, and landscapers in Texas cities like Dallas, Austin, and Houston started planting Zoysiagrass in shaded lawns as a premium alternative to Bermudagrass and St. Augustine.
Best Regions for Zoysiagrass in Texas
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North Texas: Dallas, Fort Worth, Lubbock, Amarillo
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Central Texas; Austin, San Antonio, Waco
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West Texas: Midland, El Paso, Lubbock
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South Texas: Corpus Christi, Laredo, Brownsville
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East Texas: Houston, Beaumont, Tyler
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Gulf Coast: Galveston, Port Arthur
Growing Buffalograss in Texas
Buffalograss (Bouteloua dactyloides) is one of the only grasses that are native to Texas and the growth of this grass can stretch from Texas to Canada in prairie settings. This type of grass is suited for areas that receive 25” or less rainfall in Texas. It is low maintenance, thrives in full sun, is drought tolerant, and struggles in shaded and excessively wet areas.
Usually, buffalograss is found in low-maintenance regions such as roadsides and prairie ranges. Low maintenance is key when selecting this turf for a home lawn as very little irrigation or fertilization is required to maintain this type of grass.
Best Regions for Buffalograss in Texas:
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West Texas: Midland, Lubbock, Amarillo, El Paso
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Central Texas: Austin, San Antonio, Waco, Hill Country
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North Texas: DFW, Wichita Falls, Abilene, Denton
Growing Centipedegrass in Texas
Centipedegrass (Eremochloa ophiuroides (Munro) Hack) has been used in Texas for over a century, becoming most common in east Texas and Gulf areas because of its low fertility requirements, adaptability to acidic soils, and shade tolerance. By the 1920s and 1930s, Centipedegrass had spread across the southeastern U.S., including parts of East Texas, where its preference for acidic, sandy soils made it well-suited for the region.
Centipede is slow growing with a coarse leaf texture that performs well in full sun to light shade. Centipede is the ultimate low-maintenance warm-season turfgrass. Fertilization requirements on centipedegrass are minimal, and mowing is infrequent. Centipedegrass is a reliable, hardy grass that can make a solid lawn. Centipede is a great grass for acidic soils in the southern U.S.
It does not tolerate cold winters, high soil pH, or high phosphorous soils. It is shallow-rooted so it can require extra irrigation and it does not fare well with excess foot traffic.
Best Regions for Centipedegrass in Texas:
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East Texas: Houston, Beaumont, Tyler, Longview, Nacogdoches
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Gulf Coast: Galveston, Corpus Christi, Port Arthur, South Padre Island
Growing Tall Fescue in Texas
Tall fescue grows best in North Texas and areas with cooler climates, making growing challenging too far south. Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) is a cool-season grass that can survive in parts of Texas but has limitations in hot climates, drought conditions, and soil challenges. Tall Fescue has good shade tolerance and requires regular irrigation, and while it may work in certain areas, it is generally not the best choice for most of Texas compared to warm-season grasses like Bermudagrass, Zoysiagrass, or Buffalograss.
Tall fescue is a great choice for transition zone lawns where other cool-season grasses won’t persist due to drought and warm-season grasses won’t persist due to shade issues. Tall fescue has a great drought tolerance because of its deep root system that allows it to access water deep in the soil that shallow-rooted species would not be able to access.
Tall Fescue is not without cons, as it lacks tolerance to cold temperatures, so its use in northern climates is not recommended. It will also take a while to recover should it become damaged by traffic or other sources.
Best Regions for Tall Fescue in Texas:
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North Texas: DFW, Fort Worth, Wichita Falls, Abilene, Sherman
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Texas Panhandle: Amarillo, Lubbock, Dalhart, Plainview
Growing turfgrasses in Texas can be challenging in certain regions if the selected turfgrass is not well adapted to the climate within the desired growing area. Some grasses are lower maintenance than others, and therefore some grass types require more or less mowing than others. Various turf types will also be more susceptible to disease, weeds, and pests. Should you require advice or more clear direction on what type of turfgrass to grow in your region of Texas, please contact us at Simple Lawn Solutions.
