Best Lawn Grass for the Miami-Lauderdale Area
Key West is the most southern point in the continuous United States, and Miami isn’t exactly far off. This gives Miami a tropical monsoon climate, with hot, humid summers and warm, short winters. It’s coastal location also mean sandy soil and a salty environment. That means warm season grass that’s hardy and has a good salt tolerance. Fortunately, there’s plenty to choose from.
St. Augustine
For a long time, this was the dominant grass in South Florida. It has a good salt tolerance, and an excellent shade tolerance, which makes it a good choice for lawns with some cover. There are some good newer varieties that have extra tolerance to disease and insect problems. There are no seeds commercially available, so St. Augustine is purchased either sprigged, plugged, or sodded. All that being said, St. Augustine has become less popular recently because it doesn’t do well with drought conditions. This can sometimes clash with Florida water restrictions.
Argentine Bahiagrass
As the name suggests, this wide-leafed grass originally came from Argentina, and was imported to the US in the 1940s. Today it’s one of the most popular grasses in Florida. In fact, the high drought resistance of Argentine bahiagrass as made it more popular recently, and it might be edging out St. Augustine for the title. During the summer it grows seed heads, and will require frequent mowing to maintain its lawn look. The thick turf will thin out after 2-3 years, so it’s recommended to over-seed the lawn every couple years.
Pensacola & Tifton 9 Bahiagrass
Both of these varieties have a narrower leaf than Argentine bahiagrass. They also produce seed heads, and require the same regular mowing to keep the heads down. That being said, the varieties are a lower maintenance grass, which makes them popular for roadsides and pastures, as well as lawns for industrial or commercial complexes. Both of them are even more drought tolerant than Argentine, making them some of the most tolerant grass in Florida.
Tifton 9 is actually an improved variety of Pensacola that was developed by Dr. Glenn Burton of the USDA. While it can be on large industrial lawns, the variety was specifically developed for use in pastures, with a quick establishment time and high protein yield.
Ryegrasses
Believe it or not, cool season grasses do have a place on Miami lawns, with ryegrasses far and away being the most common. They’re used as an over-seeding grass to maintain a full, green lawn during the winter. These grasses can’t stand the Miami heat, and will die during the summer, but are great for filling in lawns. They’re planted in the fall just as temperatures start to cool off. Ryegrass can establish itself in a matter of days, and will fill in around the warm season grasses that thin out and go dormant. Even perennial ryegrass will die during the summer, so the over-seeding will need to be done every fall.