Quick answers
- There is no single right grass for all of Florida. UF/IFAS says to weigh your region, your soil and stresses such as shade, salt and drought when you pick a grass (S1).
- Most common: St. Augustinegrass is the most commonly used lawn grass in Florida (S2).
- Low upkeep: bahiagrass and centipedegrass are UF/IFAS’s examples of low-maintenance lawns (S1).
- Near the beach: seashore paspalum handles salty sites best. Bahiagrass and centipedegrass handle salt poorly (S1).
UF/IFAS Extension publishes a side-by-side comparison of Florida lawn grasses. This page walks through it by region and by the questions that usually decide the choice. Nothing here is a product endorsement. Ask your county Extension office before you buy sod.
How UF/IFAS splits the state
UF/IFAS’s St. Augustinegrass guide divides the state into three regions for its fertilizer recommendations (S2). North Florida is anything north of Ocala. Central Florida runs from Ocala south to a line from Vero Beach to Tampa. South Florida is the rest of the state (S2).
Soils change along the way. Many coastal areas have sandy, high-pH soils, central Florida soils tend to have lower pH, and north Florida soils tend to have more clay and low pH (S1).
The grasses at a glance
| Grass | Where it fits | Good at | Weak spots |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Augustinegrass | Statewide | Shade (cultivar dependent), salt (good) | Poor to fair wear; medium upkeep (S1) |
| Bahiagrass | Statewide | Drought; low upkeep | Very poor salt tolerance; poor wear tolerance (S1) |
| Zoysiagrass | Statewide | Wear, shade (cultivar dependent); survives drought by going dormant | Loses green color fast in drought (S1) |
| Bermudagrass | Statewide | Wear, drought, salt | Poor shade tolerance; medium to high upkeep (S1) |
| Centipedegrass | North Florida and the Panhandle | Low upkeep | Poor salt tolerance; grows best in acidic soil (S1) |
| Seashore paspalum | Statewide | Excellent salt tolerance | Poor shade tolerance (S1) |
A note on drought: in UF/IFAS’s ratings, an excellent drought rating means the grass has good dormancy mechanisms that help it survive long dry spells (S1). It doesn’t mean the lawn stays green without water. UF/IFAS says a zoysiagrass or St. Augustinegrass lawn does not perform as well without supplemental irrigation during dry periods (S1). UF/IFAS’s table also includes carpetgrass, which it lists for wet areas (S1).
North Florida and the Panhandle
Centipedegrass is the one species in the UF/IFAS table listed only for north Florida and the Panhandle (S1). Centipedegrass and bahiagrass grow best in acidic soils (S1). That suits many north Florida yards, where soils tend to have more clay and low soil pH (S1).
Northern grasses such as fescue, bluegrass and ryegrass grow in north and central Florida only in fall, winter and early spring, and they don’t survive Florida’s hot, humid summers (S1). If you plant from seed in north Florida, don’t plant too late in the fall, because young seedlings may be killed by winter cold (S3).
Central Florida
Every grass in the table above except centipedegrass is listed by UF/IFAS as adapted statewide (S1). In central Florida the choice usually comes down to shade, traffic and upkeep:
- Shady yard: St. Augustinegrass and zoysiagrass have good shade tolerance compared with other warm-season grasses, but most cultivars still need sun every day (S1).
- Kids and dogs: zoysiagrass and bermudagrass have good wear tolerance (S1).
- Little watering: bahiagrass may survive without extra irrigation, but it may not form a dense, dark-green lawn (S1).
South Florida
In south Florida, the best time to plant St. Augustinegrass is late fall, winter or spring (S2). More broadly, UF/IFAS says year-round planting in south Florida may produce a good-quality lawn (S3).
Watch the shade. The popular ‘Floratam’ St. Augustinegrass does not persist well with less than 6 hours of sun a day, and chinch bugs are now a major pest of it (S2).
Coastal and salty sites
Salt stress comes from irrigation water, saltwater intrusion and ocean salt spray (S1). Most grasses do poorly there, but seashore paspalum does well on salt-affected sites (S1). Zoysiagrass, bermudagrass and St. Augustinegrass tolerate moderate to high salinity, while bahiagrass and centipedegrass have less salt tolerance (S1). For the rest of a beach house, see our salt-air corrosion guide.
Questions to answer before you buy
- How much work do you want? Low-maintenance turf may be fertilized one to two times a year, while high-maintenance turf is fertilized through the growing season and mowed weekly (S1).
- Have you tested the soil? UF/IFAS says to soil test before planting (S1). Your county Extension office can help.
- Sod, plugs or seed? St. Augustinegrass is planted only as sod, plugs or sprigs, not seed (S2). Check Table 1 of the UF/IFAS guide for the other grasses (S1).
- What do local rules say? Many Florida counties and cities have fertilizer ordinances, and some limit when you can apply nitrogen and phosphorus (S4). See our maintenance calendar.
UF/IFAS also says installation cost shouldn’t be the main reason for your choice, because a lawn is a long-term investment (S1).