Warm Season Grass is a term given to various grass species that thrive best in summer temperatures between 80 and 95 degrees. Their primary range of adaptation is in the southern and western regions of the country and also the area known as the transition zone. Click on the link to see a map of turfgrass adaptation zones.
(For a detailed description of warm season grasses and how to care for them, see the bottom of this page.)
The environmental conditions in which they can thrive are quite broad. Some grass types grow best in hot, drier climates while other types grow best in tropical regions.
Seed or Sod
Some types can be planted by seed. Others can only be planted by plugs, squares or sod. Zoysia seed, for example, is very expensive, as of this writing about $50.00 a lb. and can take over a year to germinate. Common bermudagrass seed is relatively inexpensive, but more expensive than most cool season grass seed. There is no St. Augustine seed. It must be planted by vegetative methods only.
In the U.S. most grasses are restricted to the southern half of the country, but some varieties of zoysiagrass and buffalograss can handle cold weather as for north as Canada.
Some of the most popular grass types are
- bermuda grass
- zoysia grass
- St. Augustine grass
- bahia grass
- centipede grass
- carpet grass
- buffalo grass
Kikuyu grass is another grass grown along the California coastal regions and can be extremely aggressive. It can cover fences, shrubs and bushes and even smother other grass types. It can produce unsightly seedheads one day after mowing and, once established, is difficult to control.
The reason these grasses are able to thrive in hot climates is due to its genetic structure. It takes more energy to actively grow in hot weather, so these grasses are more efficient at carbohydrate production. They also produce deeper roots than their cool season counterparts. The deeper roots help the grass remain green during long periods of drought. See the Photosynthesis page for a better understanding on how grasses grow. It will change the way you think about your lawn.
Most hot weather grasses are known for their ability to spread by the production of rhizomes and stolons. Rhizomes are stems that grow horizontally just below the soil surface while stolons are horizontal stems that grow on top of the soil. These stems sprout new plants along its length. Stems from common bermudagrass can grow to be several feet long. See the Plant Structure page for detailed information about rhizomes and stolons.
