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Turf Grass Varieties


UT Extension Agent Book T. Leigh talks about six varieties of Bermuda and Zoysia grasses at the Shelby County Extension Turf Demonstration Plot. Bermuda varieties he shows include Discovery, Celebration and Latitude.  Zoysia varieties he shows include Royal, Palisades and GEO. Booker talks about the advantages of each, how high to mow them, how fast they green up in the spring, and disease resistance. See below for details on each variety shown.

June 4, 2016

Related Resources:
Selecting a Lawn Grass
Bermudagrass Varieties
Zoysiagrass Varieties

Bermuda

Celebration Bermuda Grass: Celebration Bermuda Grass performs well across different climate zones. It has a blue-green color, soft texture and tolerates drought and cold weather well. Celebration Bermuda Grass also features a higher degree of shade tolerance than other Bermuda grasses, while requiring less fertilization and water. Celebration grows in most soil types and has good insect and disease resistance.

Discovery Bermuda Grass: Is a drought tough Bermuda grass. Discovery Bermuda grass has a dark green color that stands out from other Bermuda grass varieties. Discovery Bermuda Grass features extremely slow vertical growth, making it an excellent choice for home and golf courses.

Latitude Bermuda Grass: Is a high quality hybrid grass developed by Oklahoma State University. It is rated highly for resistance to spring dead spot disease.

 
Celebration
Discovery
Latitude
Uses
Home, Commercial,
Golf and Sports
Home, Commercial, and
Golf course
Home, Commercial,
Sport field and Golf
Color
Dark blue green
Dark Green
Dark Green
Blade Width
1.7 mm
1.8mm
1.7 mm
Fall Color Retention
Excellent
Very Good
Very Good
Spring Greenup
Good
Fair
Very Good to Excellent
Growth
Rapid Horizontal Growth from Rhizomes
Mostly Rhizomes and some Stolons
Rhizomes and Stolons
Wear/Injury Recovery
Excellent
Very Good
Very Good
Cold Tolerance
Fair
Fair
Very Good
Shade
Fair
Good
Moderate
Drought
Excellent
Very Good
Very good
Mower
Standard Rotary
Standard Rotary
Standard Rotary
Mowing Height
.5” to 1”
.5 to 2”
.5 to 2”
Soil pH
6.0 to 6.5
6.0 to 6.5
6.0 to 6.5

Zoysia

GEO Zoysia Grass:  Is a fine bladed Zoysia with many improved features, including good shade tolerance compared to other Zoysia, fine leaf texture and it exhibits minimal thatch buildup. Geo has a beautiful dark green color.    

Palisades Zoysia Grass:  Is a vegetative produced, medium broad textured, high density turf grass, for home lawns, golf and sports fields.  Palisades Zoysia Grass is a medium to course- textured turf grass noted for its shade tolerance and low water use requirements. Palisades can be established as sprigs, plugs, or sod. Palisades needs about 3 to 4 pounds of nitrogen per 1000 square feet per year.

Royal Zoysia Grass: Is a vegetative produced, fine textured high – density turf grass with long slender leaves.  Royal has an excellent shade tolerance, and has moderate to low water use. Royal is suitable for sports fields, golf course fairways and home lawns. Royal will require between 2-4 lbs. nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. per year.  Royal will require 1” of water a week during prolonged dry periods.

 
GEO
Palisades
Royal
Uses
Home, Commercial, Golf Course and Sport fields
Home, Commercial, Golf and Sports fields
Home, sport fields, Golf
course and fairways
Color
Dark Green
Medium  Green
Dark Green
Wear/Injury Recovery
Very Good
Excellent
Good
Cold Tolerance
 
Very Good
Good
Shade
Good
Very Good ( 4 hours of filtered) 
Very Good
Drought
Very Good
 
Good
Mowing Height
.5” to 2”
1 to 2.5 “
.5 to 3”
Cold Tolerance
6.0 to 6.5 
6.0 to 6.5
6.0 to 6.5
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    • Peach Trees: How-to and Information
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