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.
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.
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 |