4 Best Grass Types for Plano, Texas

You don’t want your Plano lawn to be plain-o. OK, bad puns aside, if you’ have a home built or want a new, ‘re trying to establish a beautiful, green lawn to replace your old, withered one, try out these grass types that are ideal for Plano.

In this article:

• Bermudagrass
• St. Augustinegrass
• Buffalograss
• Centipedegrass
• FAQ about grass types for Plano

Bermudagrass

Bermudagrass
Photo Credit: Matt Lavin / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0

Bermudagrass is the most common grass in Plano (and all of North Texas). Plano has two types of Bermudagrass: common and hybrid. Common is a light-green grass with a coarse leaf texture, making it better for lawns. Hybrid is darker, finer, and more aggressive, making it better for golf courses and sports fields. 

Bermudagrass is incredibly drought-resistant (valuable in Texas’ hot summers), tolerates heavy foot traffic, and grows well in most soil types, even the coarse, sandy variety found in many places in the Southwest. It’s also a versatile grass, as it’s usable in many settings like golf courses, lawns, and athletic fields. However, Bermudagrass doesn’t tolerate shade well.

Classification: Warm-season grass

Spreads by: Both stolons and rhizomes

Shade tolerance: Low

Drought tolerance: High

Foot traffic tolerance: High

Maintenance needs: Moderate

Mowing Height: 1.5 – 2.5 inches

Potential for disease: Low

St. Augustinegrass

St. Augustinegrass
Photo Credit: Yercaud-elango / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

If you live in an urban area, you’ve probably seen St. Augustinegrass. That’s because it’s more shade-tolerant than other grasses. It also handles being mowed at a higher height than other warm-season grasses, so it’s popular in lawns.

What it doesn’t tolerate is cold, so it doesn’t thrive in winter. It also struggles under heavy foot traffic, drought, and diseases. However, a well-maintained St. Augustinegrass lawn feels like a carpet (hence its other name, “carpet grass”), making the extra steps worth it.

Classification: Warm-season grass

Spreads by: Stolon

Shade tolerance: High

Drought tolerance: Moderate

Foot traffic tolerance: Low

Maintenance needs: Moderate

Mowing Height: 2.5 – 3.5 inches

Potential for disease: High

Buffalograss

Buffalograss
Photo Credit: Titus Tscharntke / Pixnio / CC0

Buffalograss is an excellent choice for drought-prone regions. It thrives in areas that don’t get much rain and can tolerate cold better than other warm-season grasses. It’s also a low-maintenance grass that doesn’t require a lot of mowing.

However, buffalograss doesn’t do well in the shade. It also doesn’t thrive with too much water; overwatering causes weeds and other grasses to invade it.

Classification: Warm-season grass

Spreads by: Rhizome

Shade tolerance: Low

Drought tolerance: High

Foot traffic tolerance: Moderate

Maintenance needs: Very Low

Mowing Height: 2-3 inches

Potential for disease: Low

Centipedegrass 

Centipedegrass
Photo Credit: James Becwar / Wikimedia Commons / CC0 1.0

Centipedegrass is a slow-growing and coarse-leafed grass that requires little maintenance. It doesn’t need much fertilizer or mowing.

Its most prominent issues are that it needs a lot of sun and doesn’t tolerate traffic or prolonged drought. It’s also susceptible to herbicides.

Classification: Warm-season grass

Spreads by: Stolon

Shade tolerance: Low

Drought tolerance: High

Foot traffic tolerance: Low

Maintenance needs: Low

Mowing Height: 1.5-2 inches

Potential for disease: Moderate

FAQ about grass types for Plano

Choose the right grass and plants for your Plano landscape 

Each of these grass types excels in different conditions, but there’s no right or wrong. It depends on your living conditions and which one works best for you.

Once you find the right grass types, your next step will be to spruce up your yard with some of the best native plants in Plano, as they’ll grow well with little maintenance.

If you are unsure what to do or need a helping hand, contact one of Wikilawn’s lawn care pros, and we’ll be happy to help.

Main Image Credit: Sears house Plano / A. McMurray / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0