Florida is a large state with widely different geographies and climates. A warm-season grass that thrives in the southern part of Florida may not do as well during the winter months in the more northern mountainous regions of the state. With that being said, both different warm-season and cool-season grasses are suitable to Florida and below are the most common.
Cool-Season Grasses
- Tall Fescue – best used in shady areas of North Florida.
- Perennial Ryegrass – widely used for over-seeding warm-season grasses (mostly bermuda) during the winter months.
Warm-Season Grasses
- Bermudagrass
- Carpetgrass – low maintenance grass that grows well in the central and southern regions of the state. Thrives in low pH, wet soils and may be established by seed or sprigs. Grows rapidly.
- Centipedegrass – the perfect grass for the homeowner in North Florida and Panhandle area who desires a fairly attractive lawn but with low maintenance.
- Zoysia Grass – most varieties are adapted for most of Florida but is slow to establish.
- Seashore Paspalum – an extremely salt tolerant grass well adapted for the humid coastal regions of Florida. High maintenance turf but looks great when treated right.
- Bahiagrass – can be found throughout Florida but mostly on roadsides, pastures, and industrial lawns. Extremely low maintenance grass but not recommended for home use.
- St. Augustine Grass
Click on one of the grasses for planting details and then visit the Planting Grass Seed page for detailed instructions on how to correctly prepare your soil and plant your grass seed for your lawn.
