The Best Grasses for Florida Lawns

The best grass for Florida lawns is St. Augustinegrass for most homes, followed by Zoysiagrass, Bermudagrass, bahiagrass, centipedegrass, and seashore paspalum. All 6 handle Florida’s heat, humidity, and sandy, salty soil.

The right pick depends on where you live, how much shade you have, and how much upkeep you want. We compare each Florida grass type by region, maintenance needs, pests, and pros and cons to help you choose with confidence.

Once your new lawn fills in, LawnLove’s local lawn mowing pros can keep it cut at the right height for your grass type all season long.

Florida grass types at a glance

St. Augustinegrass is the best all-around grass for Florida lawns, especially for yards with some shade or a coastal location. Each of the 6 main Florida grasses has a different strength, so compare them before you buy seed, sod, or plugs.

Grass type	Best for	Main drawback
St. Augustinegrass	Shade, salt, and a lush look	Chinch bugs and no seed option
Zoysiagrass	Soft, dense turf that handles foot traffic	Slow to establish
Bermudagrass	Full sun, heavy traffic, and fast recovery	Poor shade tolerance
Bahiagrass	Sandy soil, drought, and low inputs	Open growth invites weeds
Centipedegrass	Low fertilizer and mowing needs	Low salt and traffic tolerance
Seashore paspalum	Coastal lawns with salty soil or water	Few herbicide options

Best grass types for Florida lawns

These 6 warm-season grasses are the most common choices for Florida yards. Each one trades off shade tolerance, salt tolerance, and upkeep in a different way.

St. Augustinegrass

Native to the Gulf of Mexico coast, St. Augustinegrass is the most widely planted Florida lawn grass. It creates a dense, blue-green, coarse-textured lawn that establishes quickly from sod or plugs.

This heat-loving grass prefers mild winters and slows down in cool weather. It grows quickly but doesn’t tend to invade flower beds or gardens.

Pros:

• Good shade tolerance, the best among warm-season grasses

• High salt tolerance

• Fast growth rate

• Available as sod, sprigs, or plugs

• Coarse, wide blades that form a thick turf

• Crowds out most weeds

Cons:

• Low cold tolerance

• Susceptible to chinch bugs and fungal diseases

• Not available as seed

• Susceptible to thatch, especially if over-fertilized or overwatered

St. Augustinegrass cultivars for Florida: Floratam, Palmetto, and BitterBlue

Grass plug options:

• Seed Ranch St. Augustine Seville Grass Plugs (2 Trays)

• Seed Ranch St. Augustine Floratam Grass Plugs (2 Trays)

Zoysiagrass

Native to eastern Asia, Zoysiagrass is a fine-bladed, dense, emerald turf used on home lawns, commercial properties, golf courses, and athletic fields.

It’s a slow-growing grass, which makes it low-maintenance and unlikely to invade gardens and flower beds. The trade-off is that it takes longer to establish.

Pros:

• Soft to walk on

• Crowds out most weeds on its own

• Tolerates light shade

• Good salt tolerance

• Available in fine-bladed and wide-bladed varieties

• Good traffic tolerance

• Cold-tolerant

• Drought-tolerant (may go brown but will survive)

Cons:

• Slow grower

• Slow to establish from plugs or seed, so we recommend sod

• Goes brown during a drought

• Slow to recover from damage

• Seed is not recommended, so establishment can be costly

• Thatch can be a problem, especially with too much nitrogen

Zoysiagrass cultivars for Florida: Empire, El Toro, and Zeon

Grass plug and seed options:

• Zoysia Plugs (50 Large Grass Plugs)

• Zoysia Plugs (50 Full and Lush Grass Plugs)

• Zoysia Plugs (100 Plugs)

• Zenith Zoysiagrass Seed (1/8 lb. of seeds)

Bermudagrass

Bermudagrass is a fine-textured, medium- to dark-green, densely growing grass that thrives throughout Florida. It’s common on residential and commercial lawns as well as golf courses and athletic fields.

Because it grows quickly, Bermudagrass rarely sprouts weeds, and weeds usually signal a turf problem. However, that aggressive growth means it can invade gardens and flower beds.

Pros:

• High foot traffic tolerance

• Recovers from damage quickly

• Deep roots

• Drought-resistant

• Grows quickly

• Low to moderate water needs

• Improved common Bermudagrass feels soft underfoot

• Good salt tolerance

• Dense turf

Cons:

• Low shade tolerance

• Low cold tolerance

• Can spread aggressively into gardens, flower beds, or other lawns

• Needs frequent mowing

• Low insect tolerance

• Tends to develop thatch

Bermudagrass cultivars for Florida: Celebration, Tifway 419, and Latitude 36

Grass seed options:

• Scotts Turf Builder Bermudagrass (10-lb. bag)

• Hancock Seed Co. Bermudagrass (50-lb. bag)

Bahiagrass

Bahiagrass is a coarse-textured, light-green grass introduced to the U.S. from Brazil in 1914. Its deep, extensive root system makes it one of the best grasses for sandy soil.

Bahiagrass isn’t a picturesque turfgrass, though. Its open, sparse growth habit leaves room for weeds, so it’s most often used on large lawns and lawns without an irrigation system.

In Florida, actively growing bahiagrass needs frequent mowing every 7 to 14 days to a height of 3 to 4 inches. Its tough seed stalks also call for a sharp mower blade.

Pros:

• Low water and fertilizer requirements

• Low-maintenance

• Deep roots

• Does well in infertile and sandy soils

• Ideal for large lawns that need a low-maintenance ground cover

• Few insect and disease problems

• Thatch is not generally a concern

• Establishes from seed or sod

Cons:

• Doesn’t produce a dense carpet of grass

• Seed stems dull mower blades quickly

• Seed heads can be an eyesore if not mowed regularly

• Only a few varieties are available for home lawns

• Lack of density (an “open growth habit”) may leave space for weeds to grow

Bahiagrass cultivars for Florida: Pensacola, Paraguay 22, and Argentine

Grass seed options:

Pensacola bahiagrass:

• Hancock Seed Co. Pensacola Bahiagrass Seed (5-lb. bag)

• SeedRanch Pensacola Bahiagrass Seed (10-lb. bag)

Argentine bahiagrass:

• Scotts Turf Builder Argentine Bahiagrass (10-lb. bag)

• Hancock Seed Co. Argentine Bahiagrass Seed Mix (25-lb. bag)

For more information, check out our bahiagrass guide.

Centipedegrass

Introduced to the U.S. from Southeast Asia in 1916, centipedegrass is an apple-green, medium-textured, smooth, slow-growing turfgrass. It’s common in Central and North Florida, particularly the Panhandle.

It’s nicknamed “the lazy man’s grass” because of its low fertilizer and mowing needs. Its low salt tolerance makes it a poor fit for beachside lawns.

Pros:

• Low mowing frequency

• Low fertilizer requirements

• Tolerates infertile soils

• Grows from seed, sod, plugs, or sprigs

• Dense, stoloniferous growth habit crowds out weeds

• Won’t invade flower beds or gardens

Cons:

• Fewer options for chemical weed control

• Accumulates thatch

• Susceptible to insects, particularly nematodes and ground pearls

• Low foot traffic tolerance

Centipedegrass cultivars for Florida: Tennessee Hardy, Common, and Oaklawn

Grass seed options:

• Gulf Kist Coated Centipedegrass Seeds (1 lb.)

• Scotts EZ Seed Patch and Repair Centipedegrass (3.75 lbs.)

• TifBlair Centipedegrass (5-lb. bag)

For more information, check out our centipedegrass guide.

Seashore paspalum

Native to the Americas, seashore paspalum is common on coastal Florida lawns and golf courses. It’s blue-green with fine-textured leaves and forms a dense, low-growing turf similar to Bermudagrass.

Some cultivars are salt-tolerant enough to handle brackish irrigation water, which makes this grass a strong pick for waterfront homes.

Pros:

• Excellent salt tolerance

• Excellent wear tolerance

• Low water needs

• Low fertility needs

• Few insect or disease problems

• Tolerates a wide pH range

• Dense growth habit discourages weeds

• Dense root system

Cons:

• Poor shade tolerance

• Needs frequent mowing

• Few herbicide options for weed control

• Requires dethatching, especially when over-fertilized and overwatered

Seashore paspalum cultivars for Florida: SeaIsle 1, Platinum TE, Salam, and Supreme

Grass seed and sod options:

• Seed Ranch SeaShore Paspalum Coated Grass Seed (1 lb.)

• Seed World SeaShore Paspalum Grass Seeds (various amounts)

• Other places to purchase seashore paspalum sod

Read more:

• St. Augustinegrass: How to Grow and Care for It

• Zoysiagrass: How to Grow and Care for It

• Bermudagrass: How to Grow and Care for It

How to choose the right grass for your Florida lawn

Choose a Florida grass by matching it to your region, sun exposure, soil, salt exposure, and the upkeep you’re willing to handle. Florida spans U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) hardiness zones 8 through 11, so a grass that thrives in Pensacola may struggle in Miami.

Key factors to weigh:

• Sun and shade: St. Augustinegrass and Zoysiagrass handle some shade, while Bermudagrass and seashore paspalum need full sun.

• Salt exposure: Seashore paspalum, St. Augustinegrass, Zoysiagrass, and Bermudagrass tolerate salt, but centipedegrass doesn’t.

• Foot traffic: Bermudagrass and Zoysiagrass hold up best to kids, pets, and backyard games.

• Irrigation: Bahiagrass survives without an irrigation system, while St. Augustinegrass needs extra water during droughts.

• Upkeep: Centipedegrass and bahiagrass need the least fertilizer, while Bermudagrass needs frequent mowing.

Timing matters too. South Florida turf grows year-round, while North and Central Florida lawns grow from about March through October, which shapes your Florida lawn fertilizing schedule.

John Sorochan, Ph.D., a distinguished professor of turfgrass science at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee, notes that warm-season grasses “need about 100 days of warm weather to germinate, establish, and mature.”

Read more:

• How to Choose the Right Grass for Your Lawn

• What Planting Zones Are in Florida?

Best grass for each Florida region

The best grass for your Florida lawn changes from south to north as winters get cooler and soils change. Use these regional picks as a starting point.

Best grass seed for South Florida

St. Augustinegrass, Bermudagrass, and Zoysiagrass are the best grasses for South Florida, including Miami, West Palm Beach, and Fort Myers. They thrive in the heat and humidity while also tolerating salty soil and occasional flooding.

Bahiagrass is another good option if you live inland, and seashore paspalum is a solid coastal choice.

Best grass seed for Central Florida

St. Augustinegrass and bahiagrass are the best grasses for Central Florida, including Tampa, Orlando, and Daytona Beach. St. Augustinegrass is high-maintenance but more attractive. Bahiagrass is low-maintenance and hardier but not as picture-perfect as other grass types.

Zoysiagrass also works, but it grows slowly. Centipedegrass is another low-maintenance option if you live inland, since its salt tolerance is low. Seashore paspalum suits coastal lawns.

Best grass seed for North Florida

St. Augustinegrass, Bermudagrass, and Zoysiagrass are the best grasses for North Florida, including Pensacola, Tallahassee, and Jacksonville. All 3 suit the soil and climate. Homeowners often choose St. Augustinegrass for its looks, Bermudagrass for its hardiness, and Zoysiagrass for its low maintenance.

Bahiagrass is worth a look because it’s the most drought-tolerant. Centipedegrass is also common in North Florida, particularly in the inland Panhandle, because it adapts to many soils. For coastal homes, consider seashore paspalum.

Read more:

• 7 Best Grass Types for Tampa

• 5 Best Grass Types for Jacksonville Lawns

• 6 Best Grass Types for Pensacola

Best grass seed for a winter lawn

Perennial ryegrass is the best grass seed for a winter lawn in Florida. Overseeding adds cool-season grass seed that sprouts when your summer grass goes dormant, giving you a green lawn through winter.

You can also try overseeding with tall fescue or Kentucky bluegrass.

When to overseed by region:

• North Florida: Overseed from October to November.

• Central Florida: Overseed from October to early December.

• South Florida: Overseeding isn’t common because temperatures don’t consistently drop low enough.

Wait until daytime highs fall to the low to mid-70s before you sow ryegrass, a key step in Florida winter lawn care.

If you’d rather not spread seed yourself, LawnLove’s overseeding service pairs core aeration with new seed for better seed-to-soil contact.

Read more:

• What Is Overseeding?

• Perennial Ryegrass: How to Grow and Care for It

FAQs

Can I plant my own lawn or hire a professional?

You can plant your own lawn, but prepping soil, laying sod or seed, and watering daily until roots take hold is a lot of work. Finding a lawn company that’s reliable, affordable, and trustworthy can feel just as daunting.

That’s where LawnLove can help. LawnLove has researched and vetted local lawn care pros across Florida and will connect you with the right pro for you, your lawn, and your wallet. Enjoy the sun and your new lawn without breaking a sweat or the bank.

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Main Photo Credit: Summerlin House in St. Lucie Village, Florida. Tamanoeconomico | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 4.0