Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, fescues, Bermudagrass, and Zoysiagrass perform best in Tennessee’s hot summers and mild winters. These grasses are beautiful but vary in their ability to tolerate drought, foot traffic, and heat.
Understanding these differences is key to choosing the right type of grass for your needs and preferences.
Kentucky bluegrass: Best for cool weather
Kentucky bluegrass is an excellent choice if you live in East Tennessee, where the winter temperatures drop below 55 degrees Fahrenheit. This cool-season grass has beautiful dark green leaves and a medium-fine texture, making it soft underfoot. It creates a beautiful lawn that grows vigorously during the spring and fall.
Kentucky bluegrass withstands foot traffic exceptionally well and effectively self-repairs, thanks to its ability to spread through rhizomes. This grass thrives in full sun but can withstand partial shade too. Summers can get hot in Tennessee, so be sure to water your grass regularly to prevent it from going dormant.
Check out our guide for more on growing Kentucky bluegrass.
Grass Seed Options:
- – Jonathan Green (11970) Blue Panther Kentucky Bluegrass Grass Seed (3 lbs.)
- – SeedRanch Midnight Kentucky Bluegrass Seed (5 lbs.)
| Pros | Cons |
| ✓ Forms a lush lawn ✓ 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 |
Perennial ryegrass: Establishes quickly
Perennial ryegrass isn’t a winter-hardy grass, but it performs well throughout Tennessee because the winters don’t get bitterly cold here. This grass germinates within seven days and has fine-textured, dark green leaves that may give it a patchy look sometimes.
This cool-season grass withstands foot traffic relatively well but can’t self-repair because it has a bunch-forming growth habit. Perennial ryegrass loves full sun, withstands partial shade, and grows rapidly in the spring and fall.
If you’re in a warm city like Millington, Nashville, or Memphis, ensure that you water your lawn regularly to prevent early dormancy.
Check out our guide for more on growing perennial ryegrass.
Grass Seed Options:
- – Outsidepride Perennial Ryegrass Seed (5 lbs.)
- – Eretz ProTurf Perennial Ryegrass Fine Lawn Seed (choose your size)
| 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 damage ✗ Prone to disease and insectSpreads slowly |
Fine fescue: Best for low-maintenance lawns
Fine fescue is a group of five different fine-textured grasses: Chewings fescue, hard fescue, sheep fescue, slender creeping red fescue, and strong creeping red fescue. These grasses are easy to care for in the hot summers and mild winters of Tennessee. They create a lush lawn with their fine, needle-like, dark green leaves.
Fine fescues are the softest of all cool-season grasses, but they don’t withstand heavy foot traffic and can’t self-repair. Creeping red fescue is an exception because it spreads by rhizomes. These grasses grow best in full sun but can withstand partial shade.
Check out our guide for more on growing fine fescue.
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.)
- – Outsidepride Hard Fine Fescue Grass Seed (10 lbs.)
| Pros | Cons |
| ✓ Looks beautiful ✓ Germinates quickly ✓ Resists shade ✓ Withstands drought ✓ Soft underfoot ✓ Low fertilizer and maintenance needs | ✗ Poor ability to recover from damages ✗ Spreads slowly ✗ Susceptible to diseases and pests ✗ Not resilient to foot traffic |
Tall fescue: Loves full sun
Tall fescue handles heat better than other cool-season grasses, making it an excellent choice throughout Tennessee. This cool-season grass features beautiful medium to dark green leaves but lacks the density of Kentucky bluegrass. We recommend overseeding tall fescue with Kentucky bluegrass at a 50:50 ratio for a denser lawn.
This grass withstands foot traffic well but can’t self-repair because it’s bunch-forming. It grows best in full sun but can withstand partial shade. Tall fescue has an extensive root system, so it resists drought exceptionally well.
Check out our guide for more about growing tall fescue.
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.)
| Pros | Cons |
| ✓ Germinates quickly ✓ Withstands foot traffic ✓ Resists thatch buildup ✓ Withstands drought ✓ Resists shade ✓ Resists diseases | ✗ Poor ability to recover from damage ✗ Requires frequent mowing ✗ Spreads slowly |
Bermudagrass: Durable enough for busy lawns
Bermudagrass is a popular choice for Tennessee homeowners. This warm-season grass spreads through rhizomes, allowing it to endure high foot traffic and recover quickly from damage. It develops a lush, medium-green lawn and grows vigorously from late spring to summer.
This grass thrives in full sun and requires consistent watering. While it goes dormant in winter, overseeding it with annual ryegrass in a 75:25 or 50:50 ratio can help maintain a green lawn.
Check out our guide for more on growing Bermudagrass.
Grass Seed Options:
- – Scotts Turf Builder Bermudagrass (10-lb. bag)
- – Hancock Seed Co. Bermudagrass (50-lb. bag)
| Pros | Cons |
| ✓ Germinates quickly ✓ Spreads quickly ✓ Withstands foot traffic ✓ Excellent ability to self-repair ✓ Resists drought ✓ Resists diseases | ✗ Loses its color during winter ✗ Doesn’t tolerate shade ✗ Susceptible to pests ✗ Coarse texture ✗ Requires frequent mowing and fertilization |
Zoysiagrass: Excellent disease resistance
Zoysiagrass is more cold-tolerant than other warm-season grasses, making it an excellent choice for states in the transition zone states like Tennessee. This warm-season grass withstands common lawn diseases and looks beautiful with emerald-green grass blades. It grows vigorously from late spring through summer.
While Zoysiagrass handles foot traffic relatively well, it takes time to recover from damage, despite spreading through rhizomes. This grass thrives in full sun but tolerates partial shade too. Be sure to water your grass regularly, especially if you’re in West Tennessee.
Check out our guide for more on growing Zoysiagrass.
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)
| Pros | Cons |
| ✓ 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 |
If you want to know the best grass types for your specific region of Tennessee, check out the links below:
- The Best Grass Seed for East Tennessee
- The Best Grass Seed for Middle Tennessee
- The Best Grass Seed for West Tennessee
When to hire a professional
Choosing the right grass is key to a lush and healthy lawn. If you need help with it or anything related to lawn care, get in touch with Lawn Love. Our pros can transform your yard from ordinary to extraordinary.
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Main Photo Credit: Thomas R Machnitzki | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY 3.0
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