What Type of Grass Do I Have Growing in My Lawn?

Many lawns have one or more types of common grass.

Lawn grasses vary quite a bit in color, texture, growth patterns and blade shape. These and several other factors can help you determine what kind of grass or grasses are growing in your lawn.

Ornamental Grass

Ornamental grasses like dwarf fountain and Elijah blue fescue are some of the easiest grasses to spot. These grasses are thicker than most and are oftentimes distinctively colored--either pale blue or purple, or extremely bright with a yellow tint, like hakonechloa "all gold" grass. Ornamental grass tends to grow in thick bunches instead of evenly scattered.

Crabgrass

Crabgrass is technically a weed, and its fast-growing and overpowering nature can quickly overtake a lawn. Crabgrass varies in color and grows in thick, sturdy tufts that can be hard to remove. Crabgrass is characterized by long, thick shoots covered in smaller grasslike leaves. Unlike ornamental grass, these shoots grow outward instead of upward.

Centipede Grass

Centipede grass is most commonly found in the warm climates of the Southern United States. It thrives on acidic soil, making it rare in the alkaline prairie states of the Midwest. Centipede grass is dark green, and individual blades may be spotted in areas with deep purple. It's very soft to the touch, dense and slow growing. Centipede grass cannot handle cold temperatures and will die off in temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Bermuda Grass

Bermuda grass is extremely common due to its hearty, drought resistant nature and ability to handle heavy traffic. It has a light- to medium-green color and grows in long, flat blades. Grow time is fairly fast; if you have to mow frequently, you may have Bermuda grass.

References

• Lawns, Grasses and Groundcovers; Lewis Hill and Nancy Hill; 1995
• Manual of Grasses for North America; Mary E. Barkworth, Laurel K., Kathleen M. Capels and Sandy Long; 2007