Fine fescue, tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, Zoysiagrass, and Bermudagrass are the best grasses for East Tennessee. They thrive in our hot summers and cold winters.
In this article, we’ll learn a little more about these grasses, including their advantages and disadvantages. But if you want to know the best grasses for the entire state, check out our article, The Best Grass Seed for Tennessee.
Fine fescue: Good in shade
Fine fescue grasses like chewings fescue, hard fescue, sheep fescue, and creeping fescue perform well in the humid subtropical climate of East Tennessee. These grasses look beautiful with their fine, needle-like, dark green leaves on a lawn.
Fine fescues are easy to care for of all cool-season grasses, they can survive with just four hours of dappled sunlight. However, they don’t withstand heavy foot traffic well and can’t self-repair. Creeping red fescue is an exception because it spreads by rhizomes. These grasses grow vigorously in spring and fall.
Check out our guide for more on growing fine fescue.
Pros | Cons |
✓ Creates a lush lawn ✓ Germinates quickly ✓ Resists shade ✓ Withstands drought ✓ Soft underfoot ✓ Low fertilizer and maintenance needs | ✗ Poor ability to recover from damage ✗ Spreads slowly ✗ Susceptible to diseases and pests ✗ Not resilient to foot traffic |
Grass Seed Options:
– Outsidepride Legacy Fine Fescue Grass Seed (5 lbs.)
– Eretz Creeping Red Fine Fescue Seed (choose your size)
– Outsidepride Creeping Red Fine Fescue Grass Seed (25 lbs.)
Tall fescue: Handles summer heat
Tall fescue handles heat better than other cool-season grasses and is an excellent choice for Kingsport, Maryville, and Chattanooga, where summer temperatures can cross 85 degrees Fahrenheit. This grass develops beautiful medium to dark green leaves but tends to grow patchy over time, which you can fix by overseeding with Kentucky bluegrass at a 50:50 ratio.
This cool-season grass is bunch-forming, so it withstands foot traffic reasonably well, though it doesn’t self-repair. It grows best in full sun but can handle partial shade. Tall fescue has an extensive root system that makes it exceptionally drought-resistant.
Check out our guide for more about growing tall fescue.
Pros | Cons |
✓ Germinates quickly ✓ Withstands foot traffic ✓ Resists thatch buildup ✓ Tolerates drought ✓ Resists shade ✓ Resists diseases | ✗ Looks patchy ✗ Slow recovery ✗ Requires frequent mowing ✗ Spreads slowly |
Grass Seed Options:
– Triple-Play Tall Fescue Grass Seed Blend (5000 sq ft)
– Eretz Kentucky 31 K31 Tall Fescue Grass Seed (choose your size)
– Pennington The Rebels Tall Fescue Grass Seed Mix (7 lb.)
Kentucky bluegrass: Cold-hardy
Kentucky bluegrass handles cold better than other cool-season grasses and looks beautiful with medium-fine textured, dark green leaves. It’s an excellent choice for Johnson City, where winter temperatures drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
This cool-season grass withstands heavy foot traffic and can self-repair because it spreads by rhizomes. Kentucky bluegrass grows best in full sun but can withstand partial shade. Regular watering will save it from early dormancy in the hot summers of East Tennessee.
Check out our guide for more on growing Kentucky bluegrass.
Pros | Cons |
✓ Looks beautiful ✓ Withstands foot traffic ✓ Excellent ability to self-repair ✓ Soft underfoot ✓ Spreads quickly | ✗ Requires frequent watering and fertilization ✗ Doesn’t tolerate shade ✗ Prone to thatch buildup, diseases, and pests ✗ Takes longer to germinate |
Grass Seed Options:
– Jonathan Green (11970) Blue Panther Kentucky Bluegrass Grass Seed (3 lbs.)
– SeedRanch Midnight Kentucky Bluegrass Seed (5 lbs.)
Perennial ryegrass: Fast to establish
From Knoxville to Bristol to Alcoa, perennial ryegrass performs well throughout East Tennessee. This cool-season grass germinates quickly in 5 to 7 days and has fine-textured, dark green leaves. Perennial ryegrass tends to grow patchy, but you can green it up by overseeding it with Kentucky bluegrass at a 75:25 ratio.
This grass withstands foot traffic relatively well but can’t self-repair because it’s bunch-forming. Perennial ryegrass grows best in full sun but can handle partial shade. Water the grass regularly to prevent it from going dormant.
Check out our guide for more on growing perennial ryegrass.
Pros | Cons |
✓ Handles heavy foot traffic ✓ Resists thatch buildup ✓ Feels soft underfoot ✓ Low mowing requirements ✓ Germinates quickly | ✗ Doesn’t tolerate shade ✗ Poor ability to recover from damage ✗ Prone to diseases and insects ✗ Spreads slowly |
Grass Seed Options:
– Outsidepride Perennial Ryegrass Seed (5 lbs.)
– Eretz ProTurf Perennial Ryegrass Fine Lawn Seed (choose your size)
Zoysiagrass: Resists disease
Zoysiagrass handles cold better than other warm-season grasses, making it a popular choice for East Tennessee lawns. This warm-season grass resists common diseases like brown patch, dollar spot, and leaf spot. Boasting its emerald-green blades, it thrives from late spring to summer.
While this grass resists foot traffic well, it’s slow to recover from damage, despite spreading by rhizomes. Zoysiagrass grows best in full sun but can withstand partial shade. Regular watering is key to keeping it healthy.
Check out our guide for more on growing Zoysiagrass.
Pros | Cons |
✓ Germinates quickly ✓ Tolerates drought ✓ Soft underfoot ✓ Low fertilizer and maintenance needs ✓ Resists diseases and insects | ✗ Loses its color during winter ✗ Takes time to self-repair ✗ Spreads slowly |
Grass Plug and Seed Options:
– Zoysia Plugs (50 Large Grass Plugs)
– Zoysia Plugs (50 Full & Lush Grass Plugs)
– Zoysia Plugs (100 Plugs)
– Zenith Zenith Grass Seeds (1/8 lb. of seeds)
Bermudagrass: Endures heavy traffic
Bermudagrass thrives in transition zones like East Tennessee, where summers are hot and humid, and winters are cold. This warm-season grass withstands heavy foot traffic and recovers quickly due to its ability to spread by rhizomes. It features attractive medium-green grass blades and develops a coarse texture.
This grass thrives in full sun and requires regular watering. Bermudagrass goes dormant in winter, but you can overseed it with annual ryegrass at a 75:25 ratio to keep it green for longer.
Check out our guide for more on growing Bermudagrass.
Pros | Cons |
✓ Germinates quickly ✓ Spreads quickly ✓ Withstands heavy foot traffic ✓ Excellent ability to self-repair ✓ Drought- and disease-tolerant | ✗ Loses its color during winter ✗ Doesn’t tolerate shade ✗ Susceptible to pests ✗ Coarse texture ✗ Requires frequent mowing and fertilization |
Grass Seed Options:
– Scotts Turf Builder Bermudagrass (10-lb. bag)
– Hancock Seed Co. Bermudagrass (50-lb. bag)
More Lawn Care and Landscaping Resources for East Tennessee:
- Best Grass Types for Knoxville
- When to Aerate Your Lawn in Tennessee
- When to Plant Clover in Tennessee
- When to Apply Pre-Emergent in Tennessee
- Common East Tennessee Weeds
- When grass stops growing in Tennessee.
When to hire a professional
East Tennessee has hot summers and cold winters, ideal for warm- and cool-season grasses. If you need help choosing the right grass or with anything related to lawn care, contact Lawn Love. Our local lawn care pros can transform your yard from boring to beautiful without you having to break a sweat.
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Main Image Credit: Phillips House / Warren LeMay / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0