The best grasses for North Texas lawns in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and beyond are typically warm-season grasses. Bermuda grass and St. Augustine are common favorites but Zoysia is an excellent choice. Buffalo grass is a lawn grass native to the USA that does very well in North Texas. Fescue, which is traditionally a cool-season grass, can be cultivated in North Texas. It often remains green all winter, unlike warm-season grasses.
Top 5 Best Lawn Grasses for North Texas
The best grass variety for your North Texas lawn depends on the unique conditions in your yard. How much shade your lawn receives, as well as how much you plan to water your lawn, affects the choice you make. We’ll point out the best type of grass for you as we cover each of the options.
Bermuda Grass
Bermuda grass grows very well in sunny lawns in the DFW area and North Texas overall. It’s also one of the most drought-tolerant warm-season grasses. This means it can handle a hot summer better than St. Augustine or Fescue. However, Bermuda grass is not shade tolerant. Even partial shade is enough to leave bare patches in your lawn. Bermuda should not be planted in a yard that doesn’t receive full sun.
Good for: Sunny lawns. Areas that may have dry summers.
Bad for: Shaded lawns.
Buffalo Grass
Buffalo grass is the only common grass type on this list that is native to Texas. Because it grows naturally in the state, it makes for a low-care lawn. Buffalo grass can be mowed regularly for a traditional look or allowed to grow long for a natural “prairie” appearance. It also has exceptional drought tolerance. If necessary, it can go dormant during extreme drought instead of dying. Combine these traits with its ability to tolerate partial shade and Buffalo Grass makes an excellent fit for a North Texas lawn.
Good for: Dry yards. Lawns with partial shade.
Bad for: Sandy soil. Humid climates.
Fescue
Although it is a cool-season grass, Fescue varieties can be successfully cultivated in North Texas. If you have a shady, cool lawn, Fine Fescue is the best choice for you. This grass grows better in the shade than any other type of grass on this list. Although Fescue can sometimes go dormant in the summer heat, the chance of this happening lessens if your lawn is shady and cool. Also, Fescue becomes more heat-tolerant after the first few growing seasons. Add in the fact that Fescue is very cold tolerant, and this is the only grass on the list that has a chance of remaining green year-round in North Texas.
Good for: Shady lawns.
Bad for: Lawns that experience very hot and dry summers.
St. Augustine
Although St. Augustine grass is fairly common in the DFW area, North Texas represents the furthest north St. Augustine can be grown successfully. St. Augustine is a very thirsty grass that requires plenty of water in order to retain its green color. It also requires frequent mowing. Although it’s more shade-tolerant than Bermuda grass, St. Augustine is typically better suited for the humidity and precipitation of Southeast Texas than North Texas.
Good for: Lawns that receive a lot of precipitation. Lawns with partial shade.
Bad for: Dry lawns. Areas that commonly have freezing winters.
Zoysia
Zoysia grass is perhaps the best choice for a warm-season lawn in North Texas. It’s related to Bermuda grass, so it provides a similar look, but it’s far more shade tolerant than standard Bermuda grass. Zoysia has good drought tolerance. Combine this with its best-in-class shade tolerance and you have a warm-season grass that is adaptable to lawns throughout the North Texas area.
Good for: Lawns with partial shade or full sun.
Bad for: Deeply shaded lawns.
What is the Most Shade-Tolerant Grass for North Texas?
Fine fescue is the most shade-tolerant grass you can cultivate in North Texas. It grows well in partial shade. However, as a cool-season grass, it can wilt or go brown during hot Texas summers. If you want a grass that tolerates shade and will grow at its best in summer, Zoysia is a fantastic choice. It doesn’t handle shade quite as well as Fescue, but it outperforms Bermuda and Buffalo grass when it comes to tolerating shade.
- Fine Fescue is the best option for growing a shade-tolerant lawn in North Texas.
- Zoysia is more common in North Texas than Fescue and it also tolerates shade well.
- Bermuda grass is a very poor choice for shady lawns in North Texas.
Avoid Bermuda grass if you are looking for a shade-tolerant lawn in North Texas. Bermuda struggles to grow without direct sunlight. Shaded portions of your lawn can often become bare, which makes them easy prey for invasive weeds.
What Grass Stays Green All Year Round in North Texas?
Due to the hot summers and frosty winters of North Texas, it can be very challenging to cultivate a lawn that stays green year-round. However, the best way to maintain a green lawn year-round in North Texas is to plant Fescue. If kept partially shaded it will stay green all summer. And, if the winter is mild, it won’t enter dormancy. Bermuda, St. Augustine, and Zoysia are certain to turn brown and dormant in winter.
- Fescue is the best grass choice for keeping your North Texas lawn green year-round.
- Fescue has better cold tolerance than other grasses and will resist going brown in winter.
- If temperatures rise above 90 degrees in summer, there is a chance young fescue lawns may enter summer dormancy. To prevent this, grow Fescue in shady lawns.
Fescue exposed to daytime temperatures over 90 degrees may go dormant for a few weeks in summer. If your yard is cool and shaded, this is unlikely to happen. On the other hand, temperatures have to fall below 50 degrees to cause Fescue to go dormant in winter. In some cases, it will stay green all year. If it does go dormant, it’s usually only for a short period in the coldest months of winter.
What Grass Grows Best in North Texas?
The best way to cultivate a healthy lawn in North Texas is to grow one of the following grasses:
- Bermuda grass
- Buffalo grass
- Fine Fescue
- St. Augustine
- Zoysia grass
Each of these varieties can be successfully grown in the North Texas region. The key to encouraging dense turf grass and an emerald green lawn is to choose the right grass for your lawn. Bermuda is our top choice for sunny lawns while Zoysia is our number one option for lawns with partial shade.