21 Types of Grass: Different Types of Grass Explained

Grass is the common name given to plants belonging to the Poaceae family. There are more than 11,000 grass species, but ornamental grasses and turfgrasses make up the majority of cultivated grass varieties. Homeowners looking for a vibrant, lush lawn need only to choose between about a dozen lawn grass varieties.

Several environmental factors, including climate and soil type, can help you narrow the right turfgrass for your home. Lawn care requirements and durability are factors as well. Turfgrass can be easily broken down into two categories— cool-season and warm-season—while the right ornamental grass for your purposes will vary according to your USDA hardiness zone.

Cold-season grass types are best suited for regions that see widespread temperature fluctuations and cold winters.

1. 1. Fine fescue: Fine fescue is made up of several fescue grass varieties, such as sheep fescue, Chewing fescue, and hard fescue. Fescue grasses do not spread by stolons or rhizomes. Instead, they grow in clumps. Fine fescue is a low-maintenance turfgrass that is drought-tolerant, shade-tolerant, and slow-growing. It can survive both hot summers and cold winters. It is often mixed with Kentucky bluegrass for increased shade tolerance in areas that only get between three to six hours of sunlight a day. Its fine, dark green leaves are incredibly slender and have a vertical growth habit. Keep in mind that it does not tolerate heavy foot traffic and is slow to recover from damage. Homeowners with pets and small children may want to consider a more durable variety.
2. 2. Tall fescue: Tall fescue is a highly durable, drought-resistant, shade-tolerant turfgrass. It adapts easily to a wide variety of climates and soil types, making it an ideal choice for homeowners living in the transition zone or the northern half of the United States. It has a deep root system that allows for minimal watering during the growing season. It is a fast grower and will require frequent mowing.
3. 3. Kentucky bluegrass: Kentucky bluegrass, also known as KBG, is one of the best types of grass for cooler climates. Its deep green leaves are almost blue in color and form a dense turf. It thrives in full sun environments but is not drought-tolerant. It can tolerate partial shade but is typically mixed with fescue grasses for increased shade tolerance. It has a soft texture that provides a pleasant barefoot experience and holds up well to moderate foot traffic. Its fast growth rate does require frequent mowing and fertilization to maintain a healthy lawn.
4. 4. Perennial ryegrass: This grass variety is rarely used to seed an entire lawn, but is great for overseeding a patchy lawn. It germinates quickly in about four to seven days. Its shiny, dark green leaves blend in well with other cool-season grass varieties to create a lush, green lawn. It is not particularly tolerant of drought or shade but holds up well against heavy foot traffic.

Warm-season grasses typically thrive in climates that are steadily warm all year round.

1. 1. Bermuda grass: Bermuda grass is a high-maintenance warm-season grass. It requires frequent mowing and fertilizing, but the extra work is often worth the reward. It is an extremely durable grass variety, ideal for homeowners with pets and children. Its leaf blades fan out horizontally, creating a dense carpet of bright green turf. It thrives in full sun and is exceptionally tolerant of heat and drought. It quickly goes dormant in cool temperatures and does not do well in shady areas.
2. 2. Centipede grass: Centipede grass thrives in the sandy soils of the Southeastern United States, but it will tolerate acidic soils as well. It does best in warm, tropical climates where rainfall is abundant. Though tolerant of high heat, it has a low drought tolerance and needs frequent watering when rainfall is scarce. It makes for an attractive green lawn but it does not withstand heavy foot traffic. Otherwise, it is a low-maintenance variety and will not require the frequent use of a mower.
3. 3. St. Augustine grass: St. Augustine grass thrives in the deep South—especially in Florida and along the Gulf Coast—but it can also be found as far north as the transition zone. It thrives in warm, wet regions and does not tolerate cold weather. It's great for use in front lawns where foot traffic is minimal and moderate mow heights can be maintained. It grows best in full sun or partial shade. It spreads quickly by stolons and rhizomes and will likely crowd out other grasses or lawn weeds.
4. 4. Zoysia grass: Zoysia grass is a low-maintenance, warm-season grass that is widely used in temperate climates. It has a dense growth habit, excellent wear resistance, and tolerates low mowing heights, making it an ideal choice for fairways and greens at golf courses. It requires little fertilization, less frequent watering, and is one of the most shade-tolerant warm-season grasses. It has a slow growth rate and will not require you to mow it too often.
5. 5. Bahiagrass: Bahiagrass thrives in sandy soils and will tolerate poor soil quality without the need for fertilizer. It has a fast growth rate and requires frequent mowing to keep it in check. This type of grass develops a V-shaped seed head when overgrown. Bahiagrass does not lend itself to a picture-perfect lawn but is a great solution for homeowners who have less than ideal growing conditions.
6. 6. Buffalo grass: Buffalo grass is a low-maintenance, warm-season grass known for the blue to gray-green color of its leaf blades and its drought tolerance. It’s a native lawn grass in North America, competing with blue grama as the most prominent turf type across the shortgrass prairie of Nebraska, Texas, and other heartland regions of the United States. Buffalo grass derives its name from the fact that it commonly fed bison and buffalo across the Great Plains in the nineteenth century. Buffalo grass lawns are very common, as well as golf courses grown from buffalo grass seed.

Ornamental grasses can add texture and variety to border gardens and pathways.

1. 1. Blue fescue grass: Blue fescue grass produces clumps of spiky, blue foliage. Though not suitable for lawn grass, blue fescue makes for a great ornamental addition to rock gardens and can be used as ground cover. It thrives in USDA hardiness zones four to eight. It does best in full sun and well-draining, moist soil.
2. 2. Little bluestem: Little bluestem is an ornamental bunchgrass that produces blue-green foliage in early spring before turning deep red in autumn. It has a dense, clumping growth habit and can reach a height of two feet tall. It's extremely tolerant of drought and does best when the soil fully dries out between waterings. It thrives in sandy soils in hardiness zones three to ten.
3. 3. Shenandoah switchgrass: Shenandoah switchgrass is a beautiful ornamental grass with an upright growth habit. The tips of its green foliage turn bright red in the fall. This grass thrives in hardiness zones four to ten and full sun areas and is drought tolerant. Mature plants can reach four feet tall.
4. 4. Purple fountain grass: Purple fountain grass produces an explosion of reddish-purple, feathery foliage. It is drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and relatively low-maintenance. However, it does require deadheading once the blooms dry out in the late summer or early fall. It is hardy in zones nine and ten but can be grown as an annual in cooler climates. It grows well in full sun or partial shade so long as it receives medium moisture in well-draining soil.
5. 5. Pink muhly grass: Pink muhly grass is a perennial North American ornamental grass known for its incredible drought tolerance and the pink color of its inflorescences (flowerheads). Its pink plumes are an added bonus to its overall durability. This grass, native to Florida and other southern US states, is most comfortable in dry, rocky soil. It may not be ideal for surviving a Pennsylvania winter, but its remarkable resilience in harsh heat conditions makes it a go-to grass for anyone living in a state whose journey from late fall to early spring is more forgiving.
6. 6. Zebra grass: The zebra grass plant is a perennial grass known for its green foliage with horizontal bands of yellow on its leaf blades. Zebra grass is also known as Japanese silver grass due to the showy, silvery-white flowers it produces. Zebra grass has a propensity toward clumping together in large hedges. Combined with its ability to reach a mature height of seven feet tall, it can make quite an imposing addition to your yard. Still, whether you’re landscaping a cottage garden or require a low-maintenance, solitary specimen plant to place indoors, you can modify the growth rate of this Japanese forest grass to meet your needs.
7. 7. Maiden grass: Maiden grass is one of the most common ornamental grasses. It is easy to grow and adaptable to a wide range of growing conditions. It produces slender, silver-green stems with beige, feathery foliage. It is hardy in zones four to ten and does best in full sun and moist, well-draining soil.
8. 8. Pampas grass: Pampas grass is excellent at providing a privacy barrier for gardens and yards. Mature plants can reach up to twelve feet tall with a six-foot-wide spread. They have cascading green foliage with large, golden, feathery blooms. Stems can be dried and used in flower arrangements. They are hardy in zones eight to ten and do best in full sun and well-draining soil.
9. 9. Blue oat grass: Blue oat grass produces large, silver-blue, grass-like foliage. It can reach heights between three and six feet tall. Mass plantings help add privacy to gardens and lawns. They are hardy in zones four to eight.
10. 10. Feather reed grass: Feather reed grass provides a dramatic visual effect to gardens and can be used as a privacy screen. The 'Karl Foerster' cultivar is particularly popular. Green foliage at the base turns to golden brown stalks that sway in the breeze. It thrives in wet, swampy soils but will tolerate drought conditions. Feather reed grass is hardy in zones four to nine.
11. 11. Mexican feather grass: Mexican feather grass has a mounding growth habit and produces long, green stems with golden, feathery foliage. It is hardy in zones six to ten and will tolerate full sun or part shade. It takes well to trimming and will quickly produce new growth after pruning. It is tolerant of most soil types, including sandy and clay soils, but does best in well-draining, slightly acidic soil.

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