Oklahoma’s warm summers and cold winters are ideal for warm-season grass like Bermudagrass, St. Augustinegrass, Zoysiagrass, and Buffalograss, but also cool-season grasses like Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, and perennial ryegrass.
These grasses form beautiful lawns, but they vary in their ability to tolerate shade, drought, and foot traffic. It’s important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of each type to choose the right one for your lifestyle and preferences.
Bermudagrass: Handles heavy foot traffic
This grass performs exceptionally well in Oklahoma. Bermudagrass spreads by rhizomes, so it can withstand high foot traffic and quickly recover from damage. It looks gorgeous with its fine- to medium-textured, medium-green grass blades. This warm-season grass grows rapidly from late spring to summer.
Bermudagrass is so durable that you can even host a soccer match in your backyard. This grass thrives in full sun and requires regular watering. If you’re in the southeast or the Panhandle, we recommend fertilizing your grass in early fall to help it retain some of its thickness through the winter.
Check out our guide for more on growing Bermudagrass.
| Pros | Cons |
| ✓ Looks beautiful ✓ Germinates quickly ✓ Spreads quickly ✓ Withstands foot traffic ✓ Excellent ability to self-repair ✓ Resists droughtResists diseases | ✗ 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)
St. Augustinegrass: Ideal for shady lawns
St. Augustinegrass thrives in the hot summers of Oklahoma. However, expect it to go dormant in the winter, no matter how well you care for it. If you have large trees in your yard, this grass is an excellent choice because it resists shade better than other warm-season grasses. It looks beautiful with its blue-green leaves and grows vigorously from late spring to summer.
This warm-season grass is soft underfoot and withstands moderate foot traffic. It spreads by stolons and can self-repair. St. Augustinegrass requires regular watering.
Check out our guide for more on growing St. Augustinegrass.
| Pros | Cons |
| ✓ Looks beautiful ✓ Germinates quickly ✓ Spreads quickly ✓ Tolerates shade ✓ Withstands foot traffic ✓ Feels soft underfoot ✓ Self-repairs | ✗ Loses its color during winter ✗ Susceptible to pests ✗ Requires frequent mowing and fertilization |
Grass Plug Options:
– Seed Ranch St Augustine Seville Grass Plugs (2 Trays)
– Seed Ranch St Augustine Floratam Grass Plugs (2 Trays)
Zoysiagrass: Resists diseases well
Zoysiagrass performs exceptionally well in the warm summers and cold winters of Oklahoma. It also resists common lawn diseases like dollar spot, brown patch, and leaf spot. This grass looks beautiful with emerald-green blades and grows vigorously from late spring through summer.
This warm-season grass has coarse-textured blades that withstand foot traffic relatively well, but it takes time to recover from damage, even though it spreads by rhizomes. Zoysiagrass grows best in full sun but can withstand partial shade. It requires regular watering, especially if you live in areas like Hugo, Duncan, and Durant, where summer temperatures can exceed the 80s.
Check out our guide for more on growing Zoysiagrass.
| Pros | Cons |
| ✓ Looks beautiful ✓ Germinates quickly ✓ Withstands 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)
Buffalograss: Low-maintenance
Buffalograss requires minimal irrigation and is an excellent choice for dry regions like western Oklahoma. This warm-season grass has gray-green, curly blades and grows vigorously from late spring through summer. We recommend overseeding buffalograss with Kentucky bluegrass at a 50:50 ratio to make your yard more appealing.
This fine-textured grass spreads by stolons and can self-repair, but it doesn’t withstand heavy foot traffic. Buffalograss grows best in full sun.
Check out our guide for more on growing buffalograss.
| Pros | Cons |
| ✓ Germinates quickly ✓ Spreads quickly ✓ Withstands drought ✓ Soft underfoot ✓ Low fertilizer and maintenance needs ✓ Resists diseases and insects | ✗ Curly grass doesn’t look very attractive ✗ Loses its color during winter ✗ Doesn’t withstand high-foot traffic ✗ Takes time to self-repair |
Grass Seed Options:
– Everwilde Farms Buffalograss Seeds (1 lb. of seeds)
– Buffalograss seed (primed) (5-lb. bag)
Kentucky bluegrass: Best for cold weather
Kentucky bluegrass withstands the cold winters of Woodward and Ponca City exceptionally well. This cool-season grass grows dense and looks beautiful with its dark green leaves. It has a medium-fine texture that’s soft on bare feet. Kentucky bluegrass grows vigorously in spring and fall.
This grass spreads by rhizomes, so it’s durable and can self-repair. Kentucky bluegrass grows best in full sun but can handle partial shade. We recommend watering Kentucky bluegrass regularly during summer to prevent it from going dormant.
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.)
Tall fescue: Handles heat
If you live in the Oklahoma Panhandle or western Oklahoma, tall fescue is an excellent choice because it handles heat better than other cool-season grasses. Tall fescue looks beautiful with coarse blades and medium to dark green leaves, but it isn’t as dense as Kentucky bluegrass. Overseed it with Kentucky bluegrass at a 50:50 ratio to give your lawn a denser appearance.
Tall fescue withstands foot traffic relatively well but can’t self-repair because it’s bunch-forming. It grows best in full sun but can withstand partial shade. This grass has an extensive root system and resists drought exceptionally well. Like other cool-season grasses, tall fescue grows vigorously in spring and fall.
Check out our guide for more about growing tall fescue.
| Pros | Cons |
| ✓ Germinates quickly ✓ Withstands foot traffic ✓ Resists thatch buildup ✓ Withstands drought ✓ Resists shade ✓ Resists diseases | ✗ Looks patchy ✗ Poor ability to recover from damages ✗ 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.)
Perennial ryegrass: Establishes quickly
Perennial ryegrass isn’t as winter-hardy as other cool-season grasses, but it performs well throughout Oklahoma because the winters don’t get too cold here. This cool-season grass germinates quickly in 5 to 7 days and has fine-textured, dark green leaves. Perennial ryegrass grows vigorously in spring and fall.
This grass endures high-foot traffic but can’t self-repair because it’s bunch-forming. It grows best in full sun but can withstand partial shade. Water the grass regularly in summer to prevent it from going dormant.
Check out our guide for more on growing perennial ryegrass.
| Pros | Cons |
| ✓ Germinates quickly ✓ Handles heavy foot traffic ✓ Resists thatch buildup ✓ Feels soft underfoot ✓ Low mowing requirements | ✗ Looks patchy ✗ Doesn’t tolerate shade ✗ Poor ability to recover from damages ✗ 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)
More Lawn Care and Landscaping Resources for Oklahoma:
- 4 Best Grass Types for Tulsa
- 4 Best Grass Types in Oklahoma City
- When to Aerate Your Lawn in Oklahoma
- When to Fertilize Your Oklahoma Lawn
- Month-to-Month Oklahoma Lawn Care Schedule
- When to Plant Grass Seed in Oklahoma
When to hire a professional
Choosing the perfect grass type is just the beginning of achieving your dream yard. Proper maintenance is what truly matters. If you need help with mowing, fertilization, or anything related to lawn care, get in touch with Lawn Love. Our pros can handle everything for you.
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Main Image Credit: MARELBU | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY 3.0
