Best Grass for Lawns in Houston Texas

Quality Grass Second to None in the Houston Area

Choosing the Best Grass for Your Houston Lawn

In this video, Michael Romine shares his expert advice on selecting the ideal grass for the Houston climate, emphasizing that the “best” choice depends heavily on your specific shade conditions and budget. Call us at 281-431-7441 or click a button below to send us a message.

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Michael’s Top Grass Recommendations for Houston

Palisades Zoysia: This is Michael’s primary recommendation for homeowners with a flexible budget and plenty of sunlight. It is highly regarded by neighbors and families for its quality and appearance.
Raleigh St. Augustine: As the most popular and cost-effective choice in Houston, Raleigh is ideal for large sunny areas. It is easy to maintain, and its widespread use makes it simple to diagnose and fix any issues.
Shade-Tolerant Options: For areas with less sunlight, Michael steers customers toward Palmetto St. Augustine over fine-bladed Zoysias due to cost and performance. The newly offered Cobalt St. Augustine is another excellent choice, providing Palmetto-level shade tolerance with improved drought and disease resistance.
Specialty Zoysias: If you want a unique, high-end look for shadier areas, Cavalier and Emerald Zoysia are noted as good premium options.
A Note on Bermuda Grass
Michael cautions that while Bermuda grass is excellent for wide-open sports fields or golf courses, it requires 100% sunlight. Any shade from trees, fences, or rooflines can cause Bermuda grass to thin out and eventually fail.

Quality You Can Trust

All Houston Grass varieties are grown on the family farm in Bay City, ensuring quality that is second to none. Whether you need professional installation or delivery across Houston and surrounding counties, Michael’s team is ready to help you find the right variety for your project.

Houston Grass Varieties Comparison Table

Grass VarietyTypeShade Tolerance (Sun Hours)Maintenance LevelBest For …Unique Benefit
RaleighSt. Augustine6–7 HoursModerateBudget-conscious sunny lawnsThe reliable “Standard” for Houston since the 1980s.
CobaltSt. Augustine4–5 HoursModerateShady yards prone to diseaseSuperior disease resistance and drought toughness.
PalmettoSt. Augustine4–5 HoursModerateLawns with mature tree canopiesThe softest St. Augustine with a massive root system.
PalisadesZoysia6–7 HoursLowFamilies, pets, and low-water use“Best of both worlds”—tough as Bermuda, looks like Zoysia.
EmeraldZoysia4–5 HoursHighLuxury “Showpiece” lawnsIncredible density; feels like a thick, plush carpet.
CavalierZoysia4–5 HoursLowHigh-traffic shady yardsExtremely slow vertical growth means way less mowing.
TexTurf 10Bermuda8+ HoursLowLarge, wide-open sunny spacesFewer “ugly” seed heads than common Bermuda grass.
Tifway 419Bermuda8+ HoursHighSports fields & golf course lookThe “Gold Standard” for durability and rapid recovery.

Michael’s Pro-Tips for Houston Lawns

We pride ourselves on delivering top-notch products/services along with unmatched support. With years of experience in the industry, we have built a reputation for excellence and have become the go-to choice for customers who seek the best.

The St. Augustine Trio (Raleigh, Cobalt, Palmetto)

The “One-Third” Rule: Never cut off more than a third of the grass blade at once. If you’ve been on vacation and the grass is shaggy, bring it down in stages. For St. Augustine, keeping it taller (3.5 to 4 inches) in the summer heat helps shade the soil and keep those roots cool.

The First-Day Flood: If you’re laying new Cobalt or Palmetto, don’t just “sprinkle” it. You need two inches of water on that first day. Put a tuna can or a rain gauge out there—it often takes 8+ hours with a hose and sprinkler to get it right.

Michael’s Secret Weapon: If you see those yellow “halos” in the fall, that’s Brown Patch. Get ahead of it in September with Heritage G. It’s the best fungicide I’ve found for our Gulf Coast humidity.

The Zoysia Family (Palisades, Emerald, Cavalier)

Patience with Palisades: Palisades is my favorite for ease of care, but remember: Zoysia grows slower than St. Augustine. If your dog digs a “burnout” corner, it will take longer to fill back in. Be patient and keep it fed.

Mower Choice matters: For the fine-bladed Emerald and Cavalier, a reel mower will give you that “golf course” finish. But if you’re using a standard rotary mower, just make sure those blades are razor sharp. Dull blades shred Zoysia instead of cutting it, leading to brown tips and disease.

Watering Logic: Zoysia is drought-tolerant, which means it will survive a dry spell by going dormant (turning brown). If you want it to stay green, you still need that one inch of water per week.

The Bermuda Powerhouse (TexTurf 10, Tifway 419)

Sun is Non-Negotiable: I tell everyone: If you have a tree you can’t see through, don’t plant Bermuda. These varieties need 8+ hours of direct sun. If they don’t get it, they’ll just walk away from you.

The Mowing Frequency: Tifway 419 is a high-performance grass. In June and July, you might need to mow every 4 to 5 days to keep it at that elite 1-inch height. If you wait 10 days, you’ll cut into the brown stems and your yard will look like a hay field for a week.

Feed the Beast: Bermuda loves Nitrogen. Follow the Nitro-Phos schedule faithfully—specifically the Imperial Lawn Fertilizer in the spring—to keep that deep “sports field” green.

Our Grass Varieties Are Chosen for Proven Success on the Texas Gulf Coast

Call us at 281-431-7441 for answers to your questions and a quote for your project.

Raleigh St. Augustine

Raleigh St. Augustine remains the “old reliable” and #1 seller for Houston homeowners. As the standard grass for the Gulf Coast, its popularity stems from several key factors.

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Palmetto St. Augustine

Palmetto St. Augustine is a go-to solution for Houston yards where “standard” grass just won’t grow due to limited sunlight.

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Cobalt St. Augustine

Cobalt St. Augustine is being called a “miracle” for the Houston area. Developed through a partnership between Texas A&M and the creators of Palmetto, this variety was engineered specifically to check every box for a modern Texas lawn.

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Palisades Zoysia

Palisades Zoysia is the ultimate choice for Houston families who want both beauty and durability.

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Emerald Zoysia

Emerald Zoysia is considered the ultimate showpiece for residential landscapes in the Houston area.

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Cavalier Zoysia

Cavalier Zoysia is a game-changing, fine-bladed hybrid developed by Texas A&M for homeowners who want a luxury, “golf-course” aesthetic in shadier environments.

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Tifway 419 Bermuda

It is the ultimate choice for wide-open Houston landscapes that demand elite durability and a manicured, fine-bladed finish.

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TexTurf 10 Bermuda

It is the ultimate “workhorse” for wide-open Houston yards, offering rapid self-healing capabilities and extreme durability against heavy traffic from kids and pets.

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