What Is The Best Grass For Austin, TX?

Those that live in the Austin area know how harsh the weather conditions can sometimes be in the region. Whether it’s the seasonal hail or the brutal summer heat, Austin can be unforgiving and unpredictable. Considering this uncertain weather, homeowners must be cautious when it comes to selecting which type of grass to install in their yards. Not many people know that different types of grass are better suited for different kinds of weather conditions and environments. In this post from The Grass Outlet blog, we’ll discuss the best grass for Austin, TX. 

Considerations To Make

Before deciding upon the right kind of grass for your home, there are a few things you need to consider. First, your yard conditions can affect how your grass grows. If your yard is shaded with trees and foliage, you must ensure that the grass you choose is suitable for shady conditions. The same goes for if your yard experiences a lot of direct sunlight — you need to ensure that your grass can handle the heat. 

Additionally, you should think about how much maintenance you’d like to perform on your lawn in terms of watering and mowing. Also, consider what your lawn will be used for. Different types of grass can handle different amounts of foot traffic. And of course, different types of grass offer different aesthetics, so you should make sure that the grass you’re looking for fits your vision for your lawn. 

St. Augustine Grass

St. Augustine grass is excellently adapted to the wide variety of different soil types found throughout Austin’s subtropical region. When properly maintained, St. Augustine grass thrives in hot, and humid climates, which is common in the Austin area. But, St. Augustine is also one of the most cost-effective shade tolerant grass types out there. As St. Augustine grass grows a thick and dense canopy, it’s able to handle lots of foot traffic with no issues. This dense canopy also crowds out weeds, making St. Augustine grass a fairly low-maintenance grass type. 

Palmetto

When compared to other St. Augustine cultivars, Palmetto grass is a kind of St. Augustine grass that offers reliable cold and frost, as well as heat and drought tolerance. It offers good wear resistance making it a great choice for lawns with heavy foot traffic. This grass type is one of the most popular patented turfgrasses in the world, with over 2 billion square feet sold. 

Texas Native

As its name suggests, Texas Native grass is native to the state of Texas. One of its notable benefits is that it has excellent resistance to fungal lawn diseases that can occur in the area. It tends to green up in early Spring and offers a softer and finer leaf texture similar to Palmetto. It is also regarded for its exceptional resistance to weeds. 

Raleigh

Raleigh St. Augustine grass is a type of grass very common in the state of Texas and is likely the grass type that is most resistant to cold. It’s also highly resistant to a grass disease common among types of St. Augustine grass, known as St. Augustine Decline, or SAD. 

Zoysia Grass

Zoysia grass is another major grass type appropriate for use in Austin, TX. It’s got excellent shade tolerance, so it’s a solid choice for shady lawns. Additionally, Zoysia Grass has an extremely dense canopy, so it chokes out weeds and is durable against wear. Many homeowners choose this type of grass due to its disease and pest resistance, allowing it to thrive for years to come with no issues. 

Palisades

Palisades offers exceptional shade and drought tolerance, so it’s a good choice for shadier lawns. This type of grass looks similar to St. Augustine grass, so it’s a good alternative if you like that style, and it will also outperform St. Augustine Grass in terms of drought, cold, and shade tolerance. Due to the slower growth of Palisades, it requires less mowing, making it a fairly low maintenance grass option. 

Zeon

Zeon grass is one of the densest and softest varieties of grass available, giving it the name “barefoot” grass. This type of grass can be cut low or grown taller for a softer and more natural-looking lawn. It’s got great shade, heat, and drought tolerance. Zeon is also the only fine-bladed variety of grass that will tolerate shady conditions. This is one of the slowest grasses to go dormant during the fall and winter months, and one of the first grass types to green up when spring comes. Zeon is such a popular choice that even some golf courses in the Austin area are opting for this grass due to its lower maintenance needs. 

Bermuda

Bermuda is one of the best grass types for lawns that sit in full and direct sunlight. It’s a vigorous growth rate, which means it’s a quick spreader, excellent for use on athletic fields. Bermuda grass is drought tolerant and requires a minimal amount of water. When properly maintained, Bermuda is soft and dense. Bermuda grass is popular for being the grass type of choice for golf courses around the country. Due to its profound root system, Bermuda grass is one of the hardiest warm-season grasses around. 

419 Tifway

419 Tifway Bermuda grass is commonly used on golf courses as well as on new home builds. As far as full sun varieties of grass are concerned, 419 Tifway is the most popular variety in Austin. This grass type has exceptional injury recovery and offers aggressive lateral growth. 419 Tifway thrives when kept very short, making it a great choice for manicured lawns. This is also the most affordable option as far as Bermuda grass goes. To top it all off, 419 Tifway is resistant to disease, as well as chinch bugs. 

Celebration

Celebration Bermuda grass can be thought of as an upgrade to 419 Tifway grass. It offers an exceptional blue-green color, but a coarser leaf texture when compared to Tifway. Celebration is the most drought-tolerant variety of Bermuda grass, and also offers reduced sunlight requirements. It is best in class in regards to injury recovery, as well as disease resistance in Bermuda Grass. Finally, Celebration stays green longer after the first frost of the season, and greens up faster to boot when compared to other Bermuda grasses.

Looking For Grass in Austin? The Grass Outlet Has Got You Covered

At The Grass Outlet, we’re proud to be one of the top providers of turf grass in Austin and the surrounding areas. Our grass is grown by grass farming experts, meaning it is higher quality than the grasses offered by gardening and hardware stores. To learn more about our grass in Austin, contact us online today or give us a call to learn more.