Lots of people call us to ask about what grass grows best in Houston. Our family has been growing grass to thrive along the Texas Gulf Coast since 1981. Here’s Houston Grass Owner Michael Romine talking about the best grass varieties for the Houston area. Call us at 281-431-7441 for answers to your questions and a quick quote for your project.
Summary of the What Grass Grows Best in Houston Video
What grass grows best in Houston? Well if, somebody asks me this question, the first thing I’m going to ask is do you have any shade?
What Grass Grows Best in Some Shade
Because it makes a huge difference. About half the grasses we have can tolerate some shade. The other varieties need seven or eight hours of direct sunlight per day which is a significant chunk.
There are a couple of the Zoysia grasses and a St. Augustine grass that are shade tolerant. These are the fine-bladed Zoysias — the Cavalier Zoysia and the Emerald Zoysia — as well as the Palmetto St. Augustine grass that can tolerate some shade.
When I say ‘tolerate shade’, they still need four or five hours of direct sunlight per day to survive. The more sun that any grass gets, the thicker and lusher and more healthy the grass is going to be. But can it survive?
Can it cover your yard and suffice? Yes, those three grasses absolutely can and they can get you out of that situation of losing your grass to moderate shade.
Most people walk a fine line. You want some trees and you also want some grass underneath those trees. You don’t want to give up one for the other and these grass varieties are good compromises if you’ve got a significant amount of shade.
That being said four to five hours of direct sunlight is an absolute minimum. You might get that in the morning and the late afternoon when the sun is relatively low in the sky. If you get less sunlight than that, none of the grasses that we carry can tolerate that kind of shade.
What Grass Grows Best in Houston with More Sunlight
Which grass variety just absolutely grows the best? I would say the Raleigh St. Augustine. It’s the easiest to take care of, everybody is used to it, and everybody knows a little something about it so you can pretty much ask a neighbor and they can steer you down the right road as far as taking care of regular Raleigh St. Augustine.
I’d say a close second is the Palisades Zoysia. For anyone who has ever taken care of Raleigh St. Augustine, taking care of Palisades Zoysia is pretty much the same thing. Some people might scold me for saying this but in my opinion, you get a nicer looking grass with Palisades Zoysia. The Palisades is beautiful. It’s got a different growth habit. I describe it as more carpet like. It’s thicker and plusher.
So to me, the Palisades Zoysia grass and the Raleigh St. Augustine grass are my top two picks as far for what grass grows best in Houston with seven to eight hours of direct sunlight.
What About Bermuda Grass
Bermuda grass has got its place, but I don’t think it’s the best grass for a homeowner’s yard. It requires 100% sunlight so it does great out in the middle of sports fields and giant open areas. But if it gets anywhere near a house or a fence, or underneath a tree or something like that, it disappears in a big hurry and for that reason, it would not be on my top list.
Most Recommended Grasses for Houston
For sure the Palisades Zoysia grass and the Raleigh St. Augustine if you have more sunlight are my two top picks for the grass that grows best in the Houston area. If somebody says I can put whatever grass I want to in my yard, what should I do, those are the two varieties I’m going with.
Pick Up at Our Office or Get Delivery and Installation
You can pick up your grass at our office in Arcola or we can arrange for delivery to your project area and professional installation if you need that. Our office is located in Arcola a few miles east of Sienna Plantation on McKeever Road, just off Highway 6.
All of our grass is grown on our family farm outside of Bay City, Texas. We’ve been growing grass there since 1981 so we have decades of experience in learning which grass varieties are especially well suited to the climate and soils found in the Houston area and along the Texas Gulf Coast. Call us at 281-431-7441 for answers to your questions and quotes for your projects. Check the reviews and testimonials we’ve received from our customers.
