With Tampa\u2019s hot, humid summers and mild winters, it\u2019s possible to have a lush green lawn year-round, but only if you pick a warm-season grass for your yard. These seven warm-season grasses thrive in the Tampa Bay area:
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St. Augustine grass, because of its heat tolerance, is one of the most common grasses found in Florida. It\u2019s shade-tolerant, so you can plant it in sunny areas or under trees and bushes. St. Augustine doesn\u2019t stand up well to heavy foot traffic, so it\u2019s not a great option for families with dogs and kids.
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Grass Plug Options: Bermudagrass is a quick-spreading beautiful turf. Its fast-growing nature gives this grass a remarkable ability to recover from damage and a high tolerance for foot traffic. Bermudagrass doesn\u2019t do as well in shade, but this turf can handle long periods of drought. <\/p> Two variations of bermudagrass that are frequently used in Tampa are Tifway 419 and Celebration Bermudagrass which do better in dry conditions and can tolerate heavy traffic tolerance. Grass Seed Options: Bahiagrass, because of its extensive root system<\/a>, has excellent tolerance for periods of drought. Bahiagrass also can tolerate high foot traffic and is low-maintenance, is resistant to disease and pests, and you can plant it in sandy and acidic soils. Note:<\/strong> If you have saltwater in your irrigation system, avoid planting this grass as it has a low salt tolerance. Grass Seed Options <\/strong><\/p> Pensacola Bahiagrass: Centipedegrass is a low-maintenance grass once established, but it takes some work<\/a> to get it started. If you\u2019re willing to put in the initial effort, it makes for a great Tampa lawn. <\/p> Here\u2019s why: This grass can be planted in poor soils with high acidity or low fertility and has excellent drought tolerance. Centipedegrass can be placed in light shade but needs at least six hours of sun a day. Downsides: Centipedegrass is susceptible to insects and diseases like nematodes. This grass is not made for families with kids and pets as it doesn\u2019t have a high tolerance for foot traffic. Grass Seed Options: Zoysia lawns have grown in popularity across Florida because homeowners know what a pain in the grass chinch bugs can be. This durable grass is resilient to these pests and other insects and diseases. Zoysia can tolerate a moderate amount of sun but prefers between six to eight hours of full sun a day. Other benefits of Zoysia: Although Zoysia grass doesn\u2019t have the fastest growth or recovery rate<\/a>, it can handle frequent foot traffic. Because of its high tolerance for drought and salt, it works well for properties near the beach. Grass Plug and Seed Options: Seashore paspalum has an incredible tolerance for salt, making it an excellent option for Tampa homes by the coast. This adaptable grass can tolerate a high amount of foot traffic and works as erosion control and a permanent lawn. Note: <\/strong>Seashore paspalum does not tolerate drought or shade, so it should be planted in sunny areas and be watered regularly. Grass Seed and Sod Options: Buffalograss has a high tolerance for heat and drought, meaning this grass will make for an attractive year-round green lawn in Tampa. This grass doesn\u2019t tolerate sandy soils but can handle soil with a wide range of pH levels<\/a> (between 6.0 – 8.0 pH). Buffalograss has a low tolerance for shade but a high tolerance for drought, so you can plant it in the sunny and dry parts of your yard. It is a low-maintenance grass that is easy to care for, but it will need help recovering from heavy foot traffic. Grass Seed Options:<\/strong> These warm-season grasses work well in the southern U.S. They have a long summer growing season and only go dormant during a frost, so you get a green lawn most of the year. But some of these grass types do better than others in high traffic areas. <\/p> We know you\u2019d rather spend more time watching a Bucs game or relaxing at the beach than researching grass types. Ask a Tampa lawn care pro<\/a> about grass types and hire him or her to mow and care for your lush Tampa lawn. <\/em><\/p> Main Photo Credit: Michel Curi | Flickr<\/a> | CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/p> 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.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" With Tampa\u2019s hot, humid summers and mild winters, it\u2019s possible to have a lush green lawn year-round, but only if […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":3331,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cdn.lawnlove.com\/images\/best+grass+types-Tampa+hero.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"View from the Davis Island dog beach in Tampa, FL looking out to the water where there are multiple sailboats","footnotes":""},"categories":[216],"tags":[438],"class_list":["post-3323","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-florida","tag-lawn-care-tampa-fl"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/cdn.lawnlove.com\/images\/best+grass+types-Tampa+hero.jpg?w=1200&fit=1200,675&ssl=1","author_info":{"display_name":"Leanna Doolittle","author_link":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/author\/leanna-doolittle\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3323","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/36"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3323"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3323\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3331"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3323"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3323"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/strong>\u2013 Seed Ranch St Augustine Seville Grass Plugs<\/a> (2 Trays)
\u2013 Seed Ranch St Augustine Floratam Grass Plugs<\/a> (2 Trays)<\/p> 2. Bermudagrass <\/h2>
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<\/strong>\u2013 <\/strong>Pennington Bermudagrass Bare Spot (5 lb. bag)
\u2013 Pennington Smart Seed Bermudagrass Mix (8.75-lb. bag)
\u2013 Scotts Turf Builder Bermudagrass<\/a> (10-lb. bag)
\u2013 Hancock Seed Co. Bermudagrass<\/a> (50-lb. bag)<\/p> 3. Bahiagrass<\/h2>
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\u2013 Scotts Turf Builder Pensacola Bahiagrass (5 lb. bag)
\u2013 SeedRanch Pensacola Bahiagrass Seed<\/a> (10 lb. bag)
\u2013 Hancock’s Pensacola Bahia Grass Seed – Coated – 5 lbs.<\/a>
Argentine Bahiagrass:
\u2013 Scotts Turf Builder Argentine Bahiagrass<\/a> (10 lb. bag)
\u2013 Hancock Seed Co. Argentine Bahiagrass Seed Mix<\/a> (25 lb. bag)<\/p> 4. Centipedegrass<\/h2>
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<\/strong>\u2013 <\/strong>Gulf Kist Coated Centipedegrass Seeds<\/a> (1 lb.)
\u2013 Scotts EZ Seed Patch and Repair Centipedegrass<\/a> (3.75 lbs.)
\u2013 TifBlair Centipedegrass<\/a> (5-lb. bag)
\u2013 Pennington Centipedegrass and Mulch (5-lb. bag)<\/p> 5. Zoysia <\/h2>
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<\/strong>\u2013 Zoysia Plugs (50 Large Grass Plugs)
<\/a>\u2013 Zoysia Plugs (50 Full & Lush Grass Plugs)<\/a>
\u2013 Zoysia Plugs (100 Plugs)<\/a>
\u2013 Zoysia Emerald Grass Seeds (1\/8 lb. of seeds)
\u2013 Zenith Zenith Grass Seeds<\/a> (1\/8 lb. of seeds)<\/p> 6. Seashore paspalum <\/h2>
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<\/strong>\u2013 Seed Ranch SeaShore Paspalum Coated Grass Seed<\/a> – 1 lb.
\u2013 Seed World SeaShore Paspalum Grass Seeds<\/a> (various amounts)
\u2013 Other places to purchase seashore paspalum sod<\/a><\/p> 7. Buffalograss<\/h2>
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\u2013 <\/strong>Everwilde Farms Buffalograss Seeds<\/a> (1 lb. of seeds)
\u2013 Buffalograss seed (primed)<\/a> (5-lb. bag)<\/p> Which grass is best for my Tampa lawn?<\/h2>