The grass you plant is the foundation everything else builds on. Choose the right species for your climate, soil, and lifestyle, and lawn care becomes straightforward. Choose the wrong one, and you’ll fight an uphill battle for years — more water, more chemicals, more frustration.
For southern homeowners — roughly USDA zones 7 through 10, spanning the Southeast, Texas, and the Southwest — three warm-season grasses dominate: Bermuda, Zoysia, and St. Augustine. Each has distinct strengths and real weaknesses. Let’s compare them honestly, then recommend the best products for establishing each one.
The Big Three: At a Glance
| Characteristic | Bermuda | Zoysia | St. Augustine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun requirement | Full sun (8+ hours) | Full to partial sun (6+ hours) | Partial to full sun (4+ hours) |
| Drought tolerance | Excellent | Very good | Moderate |
| Shade tolerance | Poor | Moderate | Good |
| Traffic tolerance | Excellent | Good | Poor to moderate |
| Mowing height | 1-2 inches | 1-2.5 inches | 2.5-4 inches |
| Establishment | Seed, sod, plugs | Seed (slow), sod, plugs | Sod or plugs only* |
| Maintenance level | High (fast grower) | Moderate | Moderate to high |
| Cold tolerance | Moderate | Best of the three | Poorest of the three |
*St. Augustine is not commercially available as seed. It must be established from sod or plugs.
Bermuda Grass: The Sun-Loving Workhorse
Bermuda grass is the default choice for full-sun southern lawns — and for good reason. It’s aggressive, resilient, heat-loving, and repairs itself quickly from damage. Football fields, golf fairways, and parks throughout the South are predominantly Bermuda.
Why Choose Bermuda
- Recovers from damage faster than any other warm-season grass thanks to both stolons (above-ground runners) and rhizomes (underground runners)
- Handles heavy foot traffic — ideal for families with kids and dogs
- Extremely drought tolerant — goes dormant during drought and bounces back with rain
- Can be seeded — significantly cheaper to establish than sod
Why You Might Not Choose Bermuda
- Requires full sun — will thin out and die in shade
- Aggressive spreader — invades flower beds, sidewalk cracks, and neighbor’s yards
- Needs frequent mowing — grows fast, especially in summer (twice weekly in peak season)
- Goes dormant (brown) in winter — this bothers some homeowners
Best Bermuda Seed Products
Scotts Turf Builder Bermudagrass Seed & Fertilizer
Scotts’ bermuda blend includes a starter fertilizer coating that feeds seedlings during establishment. One 1-lb bag covers 330 sq ft for new lawns or 1,000 sq ft for overseeding. It’s widely available and performs consistently.
Best for: New lawn establishment and filling bare patches. Available in larger bags for bigger projects.
Pennington Smart Seed Bermudagrass Mix
Pennington Smart Seed Bermudagrass
Pennington’s Smart Seed line uses their proprietary MYCO seed coating — a blend of mycorrhizal fungi that colonize roots and improve water and nutrient uptake. The 8.75-lb bag covers a significant area and establishes faster than uncoated seed in most conditions.
Best for: Homeowners who want the fastest establishment possible. The mycorrhizal coating gives seedlings a real advantage, especially in poor soils.
Bermuda Planting Tips
- When to plant: Late spring to early summer, when soil temperatures consistently reach 65°F or higher. In Texas, that’s typically mid-April to May. In the upper Southeast, late May to June.
- Seeding rate: 1-2 lbs per 1,000 sq ft for new lawns. Bermuda seed is tiny — a little goes a long way.
- Key to success: Keep the seedbed consistently moist for 2-3 weeks until germination. Light, frequent watering (2-3 times daily for 5-10 minutes) beats deep, infrequent soaking at this stage.
- First mow: When grass reaches 2 inches, mow to 1.5 inches. Early mowing encourages lateral spreading.
Zoysia Grass: The Patient Homeowner’s Reward
Zoysia is often called the “Goldilocks grass” — it’s not as aggressive as Bermuda, not as delicate as St. Augustine, and delivers a thick, carpet-like lawn that’s genuinely beautiful. The catch? It’s slow to establish. Painfully slow. But if you’re patient, the payoff is substantial.
Why Choose Zoysia
- Dense, carpet-like texture — feels luxurious underfoot
- Better shade tolerance than Bermuda (handles 6+ hours of sun)
- Lower maintenance than Bermuda — slower growth means less mowing
- Good cold tolerance — stays green longer in fall and greens up earlier in spring
- Excellent drought tolerance once established
Why You Might Not Choose Zoysia
- Extremely slow to establish from seed — full coverage can take 2+ growing seasons
- Heavy thatch builder — requires annual dethatching or core aeration
- Seed is expensive compared to Bermuda
- Goes dormant in winter (though usually later than Bermuda)
Best Zoysia Seed Products
Scotts Turf Builder Zoysia Grass Seed & Mulch
Scotts Zoysia Grass Seed & Mulch
This product combines zoysia seed with a mulch that retains moisture around the seed — critical for the extended germination period zoysia requires (14-21 days, sometimes longer). The 5-lb bag covers 2,000 sq ft.
Best for: Overseeding thin areas or establishing new patches. The mulch component genuinely helps with zoysia’s slow germination.
Pennington Zenith Zoysia Seed & Mulch
Zenith is one of the few zoysia cultivars that can be reliably grown from seed (many premium zoysias are sod-only). It produces a medium-textured blade and handles both heat and moderate cold well. The 5-lb bag includes a protective mulch coating.
Best for: Seed-based zoysia establishment. Zenith is the standard cultivar for homeowners who want zoysia without the cost of full sod installation.
Zoysia Planting Tips
- When to plant: Late spring to early summer, when soil temperatures are consistently above 70°F. Zoysia germinates best in warm soil.
- Seeding rate: 2-3 lbs per 1,000 sq ft for new lawns.
- Key to success: Patience and consistent moisture. Zoysia can take 14-21 days to germinate, and establishment to full coverage may take two growing seasons. Don’t give up after 10 days — it’s coming.
- Consider plugs or sod for faster results: If two years feels too long, zoysia sod provides instant coverage, and zoysia plugs (small pieces of sod planted on 6-12 inch centers) offer a middle ground.
St. Augustine Grass: The Shade Champion
St. Augustine dominates the deep South — Florida, the Gulf Coast, southern Texas, and coastal areas where its shade tolerance and lush, tropical appearance are perfectly suited to the environment. It produces the widest blades of the three grasses and has a distinctly tropical look.
Why Choose St. Augustine
- Best shade tolerance of any warm-season grass — performs in 4-6 hours of sun
- Lush, thick appearance — looks green and vibrant when healthy
- Good salt tolerance — excellent for coastal properties
- Fills in quickly from sod or plugs via aggressive stolons
Why You Might Not Choose St. Augustine
- Cannot be seeded — must use sod or plugs, which is more expensive
- Poor traffic tolerance — not ideal for heavy play areas
- Susceptible to chinch bugs and several fungal diseases
- Least cold tolerant — suffers damage below 20°F
- High water needs — not drought tolerant compared to Bermuda or Zoysia
Best St. Augustine Products
Since St. Augustine isn’t available as seed, your options are sod and plugs. Local sod farms are typically the best source for sod, but plugs can be ordered online:
Top cultivars to look for:
- Palmetto — Best overall shade tolerance, good in zones 8-10
- CitraBlue — Developed by the University of Florida, excellent disease resistance and blue-green color
- Floratam — The industry standard for full-sun applications, but poor in shade
- Raleigh — Best cold tolerance among St. Augustine varieties, good for the upper South
St. Augustine Planting Tips
- When to plant: Late spring through mid-summer. Sod can be laid anytime soil temperatures are above 60°F, but establishment is fastest in warm weather.
- Preparation: Grade the area, remove debris, and lay sod on bare, moist soil. Stagger joints like bricks.
- Watering after sodding: Water immediately and heavily — soak the sod until water pools. Continue watering daily for 2 weeks, then transition to deep, infrequent watering.
- Plug spacing: Plant plugs on 12-18 inch centers. Closer spacing means faster coverage but more cost. Full coverage from plugs typically takes one growing season.
Making the Choice: A Decision Framework
Choose Bermuda if:
- Your yard gets 8+ hours of direct sun
- You have kids or dogs who use the lawn heavily
- You want the most affordable seed-based establishment
- You don’t mind mowing frequently
- You’re in Texas, the Southeast, or the Southwest
Choose Zoysia if:
- Your yard gets 6+ hours of sun with some shade
- You value low maintenance and a premium appearance
- You’re patient enough for slow establishment (or willing to invest in sod)
- You want the best cold tolerance among warm-season options
Choose St. Augustine if:
- Your yard has significant shade (4-6 hours of sun)
- You live in the deep South, Gulf Coast, or coastal areas
- You’re willing to invest in sod or plug installation
- Salt tolerance matters (coastal properties)
Regional Notes
Texas: Bermuda dominates north and central Texas lawns. St. Augustine is the standard in Houston and along the Gulf Coast where shade from live oaks is common. Zoysia works well as a compromise in shaded central Texas yards. Our Lush Lawns Texas book details grass selection by Texas sub-region.
Southeast: All three grasses thrive here. Bermuda for sunny, high-traffic areas. St. Augustine for shaded properties. Zoysia for homeowners who want a premium look with moderate maintenance. The Lush Lawns Southeast guide includes seasonal care calendars for each grass type.
Southwest: Bermuda is the dominant turf grass in irrigated areas. Zoysia is gaining popularity in areas with moderate shade. St. Augustine is rare in the arid Southwest due to its high water needs. Check out Lush Lawns Southwest for xeriscaping and low-water turf strategies.
The Honest Truth About Southern Lawns
No grass is perfect. Bermuda will invade everything. Zoysia will test your patience. St. Augustine will get chinch bugs. Every southern lawn goes dormant and turns brown in winter (yes, even in the South — just less severely).
The key is matching your grass to your conditions, planting at the right time, and following through with proper care during the establishment period. Get those three things right, and you’ll have a lawn that handles everything the southern climate throws at it.