Common Grass Types In Australia - My Home Turf

The above are the most common grass varieties found throughout Australia. Within these over-arching grass types, there are multiple varieties to choose from – all bringing their own unique characteristics and features to the table.

Aussie homeowners have a vast array of turf varieties available to choose from that suit many different conditions and lifestyle circumstances. Below is a breakdown of each grass type in Australia, and their respective varieties.

Buffalo Grass Types

Buffalo grass is a long-standing favourite lawn type in Australia. It is known to be durable and easy to grow and maintain, and of course… Buffalo grass is best known for its very wide leaf blade.

Buffalo grass lawns often led to many complaints in days gone by about its scratchy nature which was often highly irritating to the skin, especially to the skin of young children who played on it the most.

Those days are long past, we the introduction of many quality Soft Leaf Buffalo lawn types. These new soft Buffalo grasses are no longer irritating, are very soft and inviting for play, and can make a beautiful, lush lawn when cared for properly.

Buffalo Grass Appearance

Soft leaf Buffalo Grasses generally have a broad leaf, which is rounded in appearance and has been bred to be soft to touch and underfoot. Buffalo grasses also have a spreading growth habit with both their stolons and rhizomes.

The typical leaf size for a broad leaf Buffalo grass is anything from 7mm wide and upwards. Examples of Buffalo grasses that have a broad leaf are Prestige and Palmetto Soft Leaf Buffalo. The other popular Buffalo grass that has a medium–broad leaf is Sapphire Soft Leaf Buffalo. Medium-broad leaf grasses are similar to a broad leaf in size, but their growth habits mean the broad leaf folds at a 90-degree angle giving the appearance of medium-broad leaf – such as Sapphire turf.

Features of Buffalo grasses:

• High shade tolerance
• Low maintenance
• High wear tolerance
• Warm-season grass

Popular Soft Leaf Buffalo Grass Varieties

New Soft Leaf Buffalo types include Prestige®, Palmetto® and Sapphire®.

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Zoysia Grass Types

Zoysia Grass had a rocky introduction to Australia, even though it has been in the country for a very long time. This was probably due to the names it was given during its earliest introduction. Names such as Manilla Grass, Korean Grass and Temple Grass just never resonated with Australians – perhaps because they sound more suited to ornamental grasses rather than home lawns.

Zoysia, however, is a great grass. It is highly tolerant to heat; has very low lawn mowing requirements; very low fertiliser requirements; is salt tolerant; very drought tolerant; looks good all year round in warmer regions; can be forgotten in the winter; has low invasive properties, and it can be abused and recover (at a slightly slower rate than Couch).

Zoysia grass has a slightly wider leaf blade than Couch, which tapers to its tip. It is a warm-season grass which will enjoy all the warmer regions of Australia, but not the colder regions. Zoysia has both above and below ground rhizomes which greatly aid in its low water use, drought tolerance and recovery.

Zoysia Grass Appearance

Zoysia grasses can be defined by their pointy leaf tip. Zoysia grasses also have a dense, spreading growth nature with both the stolons and rhizomes. Generally, the leaf size of Zoysia grasses fits between the two categories of fine and medium. Fine–medium leaf size ranges from between 4mm-7mm and includes Zoysia grasses such as Empire and Nara Native. The fine leaf classification is the narrowest of all leaf types and typically less than 4mm, grasses such as Augusta Zoysia fit into this category.

Features of Zoysia grasses:

• Very high drought tolerance
• Very low maintenance
• High wear tolerance
• Warm-season grass

Popular Zoysia Varieties

Zoysia deserves to be a far more popular and widely used grass variety in Australia, for homes, business, and government and municipal grounds use. Varieties include EmpireTM, Jari Blu® and  Native NaraTM.

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Couch Grass Types

Couch Grass has always been a popular lawn type based on its low price, durability and easy care. It can also be made to look top-notch without many problems. Couch is a fine leaf lawn which has some excellent qualities.

In favour of Couch is it’s, quick growth; ability to withstand wear and tear; quick repairability; softness; and it can produce a lovely looking lawn when properly cared for and mowed regularly.

Couch requires regular lawn mowing in the warmer months, and de-thatching when necessary is also a good idea. Couch grass will also require a good year-round fertilising regime to stay looking it’s best, otherwise, it can quickly become straggly, bare and ugly. Couch can quickly creep under fences, into garden beds and other areas which are not our lawn. This happens because of the vigorous underground runners which this grass is known for.

Couch Grass Appearance

Couch grasses have a very fine pointy leaf tip and a typical leaf size of less than 4mm. Couch grasses have a very evasive growth habit with spreading rhizomes and stolons.  

Features of Couch grasses:

• High drought tolerance
• High maintenance (due to strong growth)
• Very high wear tolerance (due to strong growth)
• Warm-season grass

Popular Couch Varieties

A variety of choice is OZTUFF® and Stadium® Couch.

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Kikuyu Grass Types

Kikuyu turf was another of the mainstays of Australian lawns in days gone by, as well as still today. Kikuyu grass is named for the most populous ethnic grass group in Kenya.

Kikuyu has a medium leaf width, a bright green leaf colour, is quite soft, and loves the heat, the humidity and full sun, it is also extremely adaptable with an ability to grow in very poor soil types.

But what sets Kikuyu apart from all other grasses, is that it is fast-growing, and can also become invasive. Kikuyu can be high maintenance as it may require weekly lawn mowing throughout the warmer months if it is receiving all adequate requirements. However, Kikuyu is very popular in parks and ovals, and for homes with heavy wear and tear requirements for the lawn, such as having large dogs and busy hard-playing kids.

Male Sterile Kikuyu is a welcome addition to the Kikuyu family. It is of a higher quality than standard common Kikuyu grass, and has sterile seed heads so it cannot reproduce a new lawn elsewhere if the seed escapes – such as your neighbour’s lawn, or the open environment.

Kikuyu Grass Appearance

Kikuyu grasses love full sun, have a fine-medium leaf blade (ranging from between 4mm-7mm) and a dense, spreading growth nature of both the stolons and rhizomes. Kikuyu grasses also have a pointier leaf tip compared to other grasses such as Buffalo. An example of Kikuyu grass with a fine-medium leaf blade is Kenda – unlike common Kikuyu, Kenda is bred to be sterile and produce minimal seed head reducing its likelihood of invading surrounding properties or causing problems for allergy sufferers.

Features of Kikuyu grasses:

• Very high drought tolerance
• High maintenance (due to strong growth)
• Very high wear tolerance
• Warm season grass

Popular Kikuyu Varieties

Our variety of choice is Kenda® Kikuyu.

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