Turfgrass refers to the grasses used to form lawns and other mown turf. The grass family has thousands of species but only a handful are used as lawn grasses: the Lawn Institute counts more than 12,000 grass species, of which about 10–12 are used mainly for home lawns,[1] while the University of Kentucky puts the figure at about 7,500 species worldwide, of which 14 are widely used as turfgrasses.[2] Turfgrasses are divided into warm-season and cool-season types according to the temperatures at which they grow best.[3]
Warm-season grasses
Bermudagrass
Bermudagrass is fast-growing and highly drought-tolerant but needs full sun and does poorly in shade. Hybrid bermudagrasses are sterile and must be planted as sod, sprigs or plugs; University of Georgia studies found that the cultivar TifTuf uses about a third less water.[3][4]
Zoysiagrass
Zoysiagrass grows slowly, is very drought-resistant, needs only 1–2 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet a year and is adapted throughout Georgia; some cultivars tolerate partial shade.[4][3]
Centipedegrass
Centipedegrass is a slow-growing, low-maintenance grass that prefers acidic soil (pH 5.0–6.0) and spreads only by above-ground stolons. It does not tolerate traffic, drought or heavy shade.[4][3]
St. Augustinegrass
St. Augustinegrass cannot be grown from seed and must be planted vegetatively. It tolerates shade and salt but is the least cold-tolerant lawn grass.[3][4]
Cool-season grasses
Kentucky bluegrass
Kentucky bluegrass is the most popular home-lawn grass in Illinois. It spreads by underground rhizomes, prefers full sun and is slow to establish from seed, so it is widely sold as sod.[5] It is typically seeded at about 2 pounds per 1,000 square feet.[6]
Tall fescue
Turf-type tall fescue has a deeper root system than Kentucky bluegrass, tolerates drought and stays green longer in summer heat; University of Illinois Extension recommends it for southern Illinois.[5] It is a bunch-type grass that stays green year-round but does not spread, so bare areas must be reseeded.[3] It is seeded at 6–9 pounds per 1,000 square feet.[6]
Perennial ryegrass
Perennial ryegrass establishes quickly and handles wear well, but it has poor cold tolerance and often suffers winter damage in northern Illinois.[5] In Georgia it behaves as an annual and is used to overseed warm-season lawns for winter color.[4]
Fine fescues
The fine fescues (red, chewings, sheep and hard fescue) are among the most shade-tolerant lawn grasses but still need two to four hours of direct sun a day, and they need little fertilizer.[5]
Transition zone
In the transition zone between northern and southern climates, winters are often too cold for warm-season grasses and summers too hot for cool-season grasses to grow well, so microclimates matter when choosing a grass.[7] In Kentucky's transitional climate, for example, no single grass suits every site, and warm-season grasses can stay dormant for six or seven months a year.[2]
Georgia
Most Georgia lawns are warm-season grasses: bermudagrass, centipedegrass, St. Augustinegrass and zoysiagrass. Tall fescue is best adapted to the Piedmont and mountains, with a southern limit near Griffin; Kentucky bluegrass suits only the north Georgia mountains, and fine fescues generally perform poorly in the state. St. Augustinegrass and centipedegrass do best in middle and south Georgia.[4]
Illinois
Most Illinois lawns are cool-season grasses, which give the longest green season there; zoysiagrass and buffalograss are warm-season grasses that can also be grown in the state.[5] Cool-season lawns are best seeded in late summer, from about August 15 to September 15.[6]
References
- ^ ^ "What are Grasses". The Lawn Institute. thelawninstitute.org
- ^ ^ Munshaw, Gregg (August 17, 2015). "Turfgrasses of Kentucky" (AGR-216). University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension. publications.mgcafe.uky.edu
- ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ "Carolina Lawns" (AG-69). NC State Extension, July 2, 2021. content.ces.ncsu.edu
- ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ Waltz, Clint (December 8, 2020). "Lawns in Georgia: Selection and Species" (B1533-1). University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. fieldreport.caes.uga.edu
- ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ "Preparing Your Lawn". University of Illinois Extension. extension.illinois.edu
- ^ ^ ^ "Purchasing Quality Grass Seed for Your Lawn" (AY-25). Purdue Extension and University of Illinois Extension. ag.purdue.edu
- ^ "Organic Lawn Care: Establishing a New Lawn" (AG-562). NC State Extension, February 2, 2026. content.ces.ncsu.edu