Kentucky bluegrass, fine fescue, tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, Bermudagrass, and Zoysiagrass perform well in the hot summers and cold winters of West Tennessee.
These grasses form beautiful lawns, but they vary in their ability to withstand shade, drought, and other stresses. It’s important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of each type to choose the right one for your needs and preferences.
Kentucky bluegrass: Good all-around choice
Kentucky bluegrass performs well throughout West Tennessee, from Memphis to Jackson to Dyersburg. This cool-season grass looks beautiful with its dark green leaves and has a medium-fine texture that’s soft on bare feet. It grows rapidly in spring and fall.
If you plan to host backyard parties regularly, Kentucky bluegrass is an excellent choice because it withstands high foot traffic. It can also self-repair because it spreads by rhizomes. This grass grows best in full sun but can withstand partial shade. Be sure to water the grass regularly 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.)
Fine fescue: Good for shade
Fine fescue grasses like hard fescue, chewings fescue, slender creeping red fescue, sheep fescue, and strong creeping red fescue perform well in the hot summers and cold winters of West Tennessee. These grasses can thrive with just four hours of dappled sunlight and look beautiful with needle-like, dark green leaves.
These cool-season grasses don’t withstand heavy foot traffic and can’t self-repair. Creeping red fescue is an exception because it spreads by rhizomes. Fine fescues are easy to maintain and grow vigorously in spring and fall.
Check out our guide for more on growing fine fescue.
| 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 |
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 heat
Tall fescue handles heat better than other cool-season grasses, making it an excellent choice for West Tennessee. It looks beautiful with medium to dark green leaves but can grow patchy, which you can fix by overseeding with Kentucky bluegrass at a 50:50 ratio. This grass grows vigorously in spring and fall.
This cool-season grass withstands foot traffic relatively well but can’t self-repair because it’s bunch-forming. Tall fescue grows best in full sun but can handle partial shade. It resists drought exceptionally well thanks to its extensive root system.
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 Kentucky bluegrass and fescues, but it performs well throughout West Tennessee because the winters don’t get too cold here. This cool-season grass germinates within seven days and looks beautiful with fine-textured, dark green leaves. It grows vigorously in spring and fall.
This grass withstands foot traffic but can’t self-repair because it’s bunch-forming. Perennial ryegrass grows best in full sun but can withstand partial shade. Water the grass regularly, especially if you’re in Nashville, La Vergne, and Clarksville, where summer temperatures can cross the 80s.
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)
Bermudagrass: Handles heavy foot traffic
Bermudagrass performs well in the hot summers and cold winters of West Tennessee. This warm-season grass withstands foot traffic exceptionally well and quickly recovers from damage because it spreads by rhizomes. Bermudagrass looks beautiful with coarse-textured, medium-green leaves. It grows vigorously from late spring to summer.
This warm-season grass thrives in full sun and requires regular watering. Bermudagrass goes dormant during winter, which you can fix by overseeding with Kentucky bluegrass at a 75:25 or 50:50 ratio.
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 drought ✓ Resists 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)
Zoysiagrass: Resists diseases well
Zoysiagrass resists cold better than other warm-season grasses and also withstands common lawn diseases like dollar spot and brown patch. This warm-season grass looks beautiful with emerald-green blades and grows vigorously from late spring to summer.
This grass withstands foot traffic but takes time to recover from damage, even though it spreads by rhizomes. Zoysiagrass grows best in full sun but can withstand partial shade. Water your grass regularly to keep it in good shape.
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)
More Lawn Care and Landscaping Resources for West Tennessee:
- Best Grass Types for Memphis
- When to Aerate Your Lawn in Tennessee
- When to Plant Clover in Tennessee
- When to Apply Pre-Emergent in Tennessee
- Common West Tennessee Weeds
When to hire a professional
Choosing the right grass is key to a lush and healthy lawn. If you need help choosing the right grass or with anything related to lawn maintenance, get in touch with Lawn Love. Our pros can make your yard stand out in your neighborhood without you having to break a sweat.
Lawn Love participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. Lawn Love may earn revenue from products promoted in this article.
Main Image Credit: Cordova Woods subdivision Cordova TN / Thomas R Machnitzki / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0
