Lawn grass types

Almost every piece of lawn advice depends on one thing: whether your grass is cool-season or warm-season. Here's how to tell, and how to look after the ten most common US lawn grasses.

Cool-season grasses

Grow most in spring and fall, slow down in summer heat, and stay green into late fall. Common in the northern half of the US.

Best time to seed and feed: fall
Mow higher, about 2.5 to 4 inches
Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, fine fescues

Warm-season grasses

Grow most in summer heat, go brown and dormant after the first frosts, and green up in late spring. Common across the South.

Best time to plant and feed: late spring to summer
Often mowed lower, about 1 to 2 inches (St. Augustine and bahia higher)
Bermuda, zoysia, St. Augustine, centipede, bahia, buffalograss

In the "transition zone" across the middle of the country, both types are grown. Tall fescue (cool) and Bermuda or zoysia (warm) are the usual choices there.

Ten common lawn grasses

Grass	Type	Mowing height	Light	Where it's common	Notes
Kentucky bluegrass	Cool	2.5–3.5 in	Full sun, some light shade	Northern states	Dense, soft, spreads to fill gaps; needs more water than tall fescue.
Tall fescue	Cool	3–4 in	Sun to partial shade	North and transition zone	Deep roots and good heat tolerance for a cool-season grass; clumps rather than spreads.
Perennial ryegrass	Cool	2–3 in	Full sun	Northern states, coasts	Sprouts fast; often mixed with bluegrass. Also used to overseed dormant Bermuda in winter.
Fine fescues	Cool	2.5–3.5 in	Shade tolerant	Northern states	Fine blades, low feeding needs; the best cool-season choice for shade.
Bermudagrass	Warm	1–2 in	Full sun only	South and transition zone	Tough, fast-spreading and drought tolerant; goes brown and dormant in winter.
Zoysiagrass	Warm	1–2 in	Sun to light shade	South and transition zone	Dense and slow-growing; greens up late in spring.
St. Augustinegrass	Warm	2.5–4 in	Sun to moderate shade	Gulf Coast, Florida, California	Wide blades; the most shade-tolerant warm-season grass. Usually planted as sod or plugs.
Centipedegrass	Warm	1–2 in	Sun to light shade	Southeast	Low maintenance; likes acidic soil and is easily harmed by too much fertilizer.
Bahiagrass	Warm	3–4 in	Full sun	Florida and Gulf Coast	Very drought tolerant and low input; produces tall seed heads in summer.
Buffalograss	Warm	2–3 in	Full sun	Great Plains	A native, low-water grass for dry areas; needs little feeding.

Typical ranges for home lawns. Varieties differ; seed and sod suppliers and your cooperative extension service can give local numbers.

Still not sure?

Watch it in winter. Brown and dormant after frost while the neighbors' stays green? Probably warm-season.
Look at how it spreads. Runners above ground (stolons) suggest Bermuda, zoysia, St. Augustine or centipede.
Ask locally. Bring a small sample with roots to a garden center or your county extension office.

Next: your season-by-season calendar.