Below are the majority of grasses used in lawns throughout the great state of Texas.
- Kentucky bluegrass (limited to the colder regions and the panhandle)
- Buffalograss (in lower rainfall areas)
- Bermuda grass (widely used, has good tolerances to heat and drought)
- Carpet grass (used in coastal areas)
- Centipede grass (southeastern and southern areas)
- Tall fescue (northern areas and around the Dallas/Fort Worth area)
- Fine fescue (colder regions; grows well in shade)
- St. Augustine grass (southeastern coastal regions)
- Perennial Rye grass (used for over-seeding warm-season grass in fall and winter)
- Zoysia grass (in eastern region)
Texas is a large state with many different climate conditions and no one type of grass seed can be grown successfully throughout the entire state. Be sure to choose the correct grass seed type for your specific climatic conditions to achieve the best looking lawn. Warm-season grasses are best established when planted in the late spring or early summer. Plant cold-season grasses in late summer or early fall for best establishment.
Warm-Season Grasses
Bermuda grass and St. Augustine grass are found extensively throughout Texas. St. Augustine can be successfully grown in many warmer regions of the state but is more adaptable to the coastal Gulf areas of Texas. St Augustine is also the best warm-season grass for shade tolerance. Bermuda grass has better tolerance to both heat and drought. It’s widely used throughout the state because, though it will go dormant in the fall and turn brown, it can be easily over-seeded with perennial rye grass to maintain a green lawn throughout the year. St. Augustine grass and zoysia grass don’t over-seed easily but can provide a nice turf grass surface if managed correctly. Buffalograss is found in the dryer areas where rainfall is less than 20 inches annually. Centipede grass grows well in the central and southeastern regions of Texas, especially on sandy, well-drained soils.
Cold-Season Grasses
Tall fescue is found extensively in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and northern Texas. Fine fescue and Kentucky bluegrass are limited to the colder regions of the state, mainly in the high mountainous regions and around the Texas panhandle. Perennial rye grass can be over-seeded in the fall to keep your Bermuda grass green during the winter.
Click on one of the grasses for planting details. Then visit our Planting Grass Seed page for detailed instructions on how to correctly prepare your soil and plant grass seed for your lawn.
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Where can I buy St.Augustine in the Dallas area? Thank you, Jorie
I meant to ask where can I buy St Augustine grass seed in Dallas area? Jorie
Hey Jorie,
Although St. Augustine grass can produce seeds, from what I understand they’re difficult to harvest and make commercially available. Even if you can get your hands on some seeds, some varieties are hard to get to germinate. That is why any St. Augustine you’ll find commercially will be grass plugs or sod. My local Lowe’s and Home Depot usually carries St. Augustine plugs this time of year and I’m sure some of the Dallas area stores do the same. If establishing a lawn with St. Augustine plugs, prepare the soil just as you would if planting grass seed and plant the plugs in grid fashion about 2 feet apart evenly across the planting area. With proper care and watering, over time the grass plugs will grow into each other eventually filling the entire area. St. Augustine is an awesome grass! If I can be of more assistance, just let me know.