Find the balance of appearance, sunlight and everyday use that fits your lawn. Here are four useful starting points; we’ll help you choose the grass and cultivar for your project.
Bermuda
Warm-season
- Sun & shade: ideal for full sun.
- Traffic: strong recovery during active growth.
- Care & water: regular summer mowing; water established turf as conditions require.
- Look & seasons: fine, dense turf with normal brown winter dormancy.
- Popular cultivars: Premier Pro, Tifway 419, TifTuf, NorthBridge.
Zoysia
Warm-season
- Sun & shade: thrives in sun; some cultivars suit light shade.
- Traffic: dense, wear-tolerant turf with gradual recovery.
- Care & water: sharp mower blades and measured watering; slower growth than Bermuda.
- Look & seasons: a thick, carpet-like lawn with brown winter dormancy.
- Popular cultivars: Innovation, Empire, Palisades.
Tall fescue
Cool-season
- Sun & shade: suited to sun and moderate shade in appropriate Piedmont sites.
- Traffic: handles everyday use; thin areas may benefit from overseeding.
- Care & water: regular mowing and attentive summer watering.
- Look & seasons: upright green blades; strongest growth in cooler weather, with summer heat stress to manage.
Centipede
Warm-season
- Sun & shade: best in sun, with some light-shade tolerance.
- Traffic: well suited to lightly used lawns.
- Care & water: modest fertilizer needs on suitable acidic soil; water according to conditions.
- Look & seasons: a medium-textured, apple-green lawn with winter dormancy.
Looking at a Named Cultivar?
Compare regional guidance from NC State Extension and Clemson Extension, or ask us about your lawn.
Explore the grass in more detail
Explore Grass Choices
Looking for a grass variety you don’t see here? Give us a call to check availability.
Photo credits
Grass photographs supplied by Sunshine Sod. Representative species photographs.