Can You Identify Types of Lawn Grass

Knowing how to identify types of lawn grass is a skill that can certainly be developed. If you have a good eye or are well-versed about the types of grass that are growing or that you are going to grow then you’ll have better success at cultivating a lush green and healthy lawn.

Who knows, you might help out a few friends wanting to grow or nurture their lawn.

This article is all about how to identify types of lawn grass and any valuable information that comes in between that are worth discussing like the best lawn grass for you to grow in your home!

Benefits of a Healthy Lawn

This is a bonus section and here, now that you are an expert on how to identify types of lawn grass then we are going to discuss a little bit about some of the benefits that a healthy brings to us and our environment.

Prevents erosion caused by wind or water
Helps in flood control
Reduce noise
Provide habitat for the wildlife
Cools the air
Great for aesthetic purposes
Add value to the property
Healthy oxygen for everyone

So How Do You Identify Types of Lawn Grass?

Here we go! We’re at the meat of our discussion and without further ado, let’s identify types of lawn grass.

1.Think Local

The first step on how to identify types of lawn grass is knowing the common types that grow in your state or region.

Question yourself, “What type of grass do I have in Colorado?” or “What type of grass do I have in Texas?” each state would have a little bit different variety so this is the best way to go.

Talk to the locals, your neighbors who grow their lawn may your best and quickest option but also a lawn care professional is also a way to go. Knowing what type thrives in your area would be a great start if you plan to grow or take good care of existing grass.

2.Understanding your Climate

This is in conjunction with our first tip. Knowing the type that grows in your region plus an understanding of the local climate is a great combo on how to identify the type of grass.

3.Cool Season Grasses

Fine fescue grass is one fast-growing plant and has pointed and thin leaves. It can’t stand hot weather and is ideal for northern climates for its tolerance of temperature swings and at the same time does pretty well in full sun or shade.

Next is the most popular of the cool-season grasses, the Kentucky bluegrass.

Kentucky bluegrass is common in northern sod farms because it’s quite a reliable crop that produces hearty and healthy lawns. It’s characterized by beautiful dark green and V-shaped leaves which are soft, but resilient to lawnmowers and foot traffic.

Perennial ryegrass on the other hand has soft, very thin, and pointed leaves. This type is also quite resilient to surprising foot traffic. It is also popular for its resilience under the sun or shade. It also germinates rather quickly and establishes faster than any cool-season varieties.

Tall fescue grass is the most resilient among all cool-season types against the heat of the sun and the dry weather. This is primarily because of its coarse, thick, and dark green leaves.

These features also enable it to withstand mechanized lawn equipment and heavy foot traffic.

4.Warm Season Grasses

Bermuda grass is characterized by dark green and pointy leaves with vibrant root systems made of rhizomes and stolons which spreads out below and above ground. This enables Bermuda grass to form a thick and dense lawn.

Bermuda grass must be watered frequently, but at the same time, it can withstand to be cut very short, and this quality reduces the number of times you need to mow in the summertime.

Centipede grass is characterized by light green and notched leaves. It grows utilizing stolons, and it spreads horizontally throughout the soil and creates one dense turf. Same as with the Bermuda grass, centipede grass can grow low to the ground and would require fewer mowings.

The St. Augustine grass is a slow-growing type that has coarse and wide leaves that are slightly rounded at the tips. This grass is heat resistant and is extremely resilient. This makes it very popular across the Gulf Coast, especially in Florida.

It needs frequent watering, but it can take on heavy downpours that are quite common in the southern parts of the United States.

Zoysia grass another popular type shares some traits with the St. Augustine grass. It is a slow-growing variety that prefers the full sun, and in turn, produces coarse and stiff leaves. Zoysia grass though can be watered less frequently and it usually turns brown and dormant when there are extended cold spells. It will turn green once it’s warmer again.

Get down to the Details

Sometimes, mere observational skills and some research would go a long way in knowing how to identify types of grass.

A simple check on the color, the texture, the look, and the feel of the grass itself can tell you a lot of things. The grass blades grow differently as well as their vernation or the arrangement of its leaves.

Identify Types of Lawn Grass : An Overview

Before we dive into the main section of our discussion for this article we want to dazzle and inform you first of some facts about your favorite lawn grass. This is to make sure that before you identify you are well-informed and a bit knowledgeable first before you try how to identify grass.

One grass identification key is when you know which of these three major families of grass yours belong to. We’re talking about the Cyperaceae like the Bullrushes or Sedges, the Juncaceae like Rushes, and lastly, Poaceae or your Grasses. Out of all these three types, chances are what you have in your lawn is a Poaceae type because it’s the most widespread type of grass in the United States.
1400 types of grasses exist in the United States.
Grasses then take up about 26% of all plant life on our planet.
Turfgrass is 75% to 80% water by weight.
All continents have grass growing in them even in the continent of Antarctica. The Poaceae family is all over the world.
A giant bamboo that can grow for up to 151 ft. tall is a matter of fact a variety of grass and is the tallest.
A 25000 sq. ft. lawn is enough to produce oxygen for four people.
Grass is 20000 years old and is one of the oldest organisms on the planet.
A lawn is typically made up of six plants per square inch. If your lawn is one-fifth of an acre which is the usual size then that’s going to be over 7 million grass in your yard.
Get this! Mowing your lawn can help you burn some calories. That’s about 380 calories per 30 minutes.
Some bonus trivia for everyone, Pink Flamingos are the most popular lawn decoration, we’re not surprised if you’re not surprised by this too.

Is grass a bit more interesting now for you? It is for us, so let’s move on ahead!

Bonus Section: Centipede Grass Identification

Centipede grass is characterized by flat leaves with rounded apexes, compressed sheaths, and creeping stolons. Centipede grass also has a relatively slow growth which requires less mowing than any other turfgrass species.

The Best Lawn Grass

Planning on cultivating your lawn but don’t know which grass is best for your region or state? Don’t worry, we got you covered. We’ll discuss the different types of grass names and we’ll tell you which type is best for your lawn.

Best lawn grass for Florida

Augustine Grass
Zoysia Grass
Bermuda Grass
Bahiagrass

Best lawn grass for shade

Ryegrass, Fine and Tall Fescues for cool weather
Zoysia grass and St. Augustine grass for warm weather

Best lawn grass for Georgia

Bermuda
Fescue
Centipede
Zoysia
Augustine

Best lawn grass for North Texas

Zoysia
Augustine
Bermuda

Best lawn grass for Oklahoma

Buffalo grass
Augustine
Nimblewill

Best lawn grass for central Texas

Bermuda
Buffalo
Carpet
Zoysia
Fescue

Best lawn grass for Houston Texas

Bermuda
Zoysia
Buffalo
Bahia

Best lawn grass for east Tennessee

Bermuda
Tall Fescue
Creeping Red Fescue
Buffalo

Final Thoughts

Once again, knowing how to identify types of lawn grass should be key to keep your lawn clean and green. You’ve read the benefits, it’s not just for aesthetic purposes but also pretty beneficial for us and our ecosystem.

Different regions or states will have different types of suitable lawn grass and when you’re armed with this knowledge then your success to cultivate a healthy lawn would skyrocket.

I don’t know about you, but for us, a green surrounding is always a pleasure to look at, let’s help take care of our own little space and most of all don’t forget to have a great time while doing so. Enjoy your gardening!