4 Best Grass Types for Arlington, Texas

Suppose you just moved to Arlington, Texas, and want to pick the best grass types for your lawn. Where to begin? This part of Texas gets some winter, yet it’s dry, too, so you have a range of grasses from which to pick.

But first, a bit about your new city…

Sandwiched between Dallas and Fort Worth, Arlington is part of one of the largest metroplexesin the country. In addition to more than 398,000 residents, Arlington is home to the Texas Rangers professional baseball team, the Dallas Cowboys professional football team and Six Flags Over Texas.

The mostly suburban city covers 100 square miles that include portions of the Trinity River and Johnson Creek.

Arlington is designated as having a humid subtropical climate, which brings hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters. Record temperatures include a high of 108 and a low of -8. Arlington also is in the infamous Tornado Alley and there is often severe weather in April and May.

This makes for a mixed bag when it comes to growing grass here. With that in mind, here are the five best grass types for lawns in Arlington:

1. Bermudagrass

Bermudagrass is abundant in Arlington because it can handle drought, holds up to foot traffic, and thrives in the sun.

Classification: Warm-season grass

Spreads by: Below-ground rhizomes and above-ground stolons

Shade tolerance: Poor

Drought tolerance: High

Foot traffic tolerance: High

Maintenance needs: Weekly to bi-weekly mowing and fertilization during peak growing season, regular watering, pest control

Recommended mowing height: Mow to 1 to 1.5 inches

Grass Seed Options:

– Scotts Turf Builder Bermudagrass (10-lb. bag)
– Hancock Seed Co. Bermudagrass (50-lb. bag)

2. St. Augustine grass

St. Augustine grass requires more maintenance and won’t do as well with foot traffic, but it has good shade tolerance and should stay green throughout the year.

Classification: Warm-season grass

Spreads by: Above-ground stolons

Shade tolerance: High

Drought tolerance: High

Foot traffic tolerance: Moderate

Maintenance needs: Weekly mowing during peak growing season, fertilization, annual aeration, bi-annual dethatching, pest control

Grass Plug Options:

– Seed Ranch St Augustine Seville Grass Plugs (2 Trays)
– Seed Ranch St Augustine Floratam Grass Plugs (2 Trays)

3. Zoysiagrass

Zoysia is a low-maintenance and resilient grass that holds up well in the high heat of Texas summers.

Classification: Warm-season grass

Spreads by: Below-ground rhizomes and above-ground stolons

Shade tolerance: Moderate

Drought tolerance: High

Foot traffic tolerance: High

Maintenance needs: Light fertilization throughout the year, dethatching in the cool season

Recommended mowing height: Mow to 0.5 to 2 inches

Grass Plug and Seed Options:

– Zoysia Plugs (50 Large Grass Plugs)
– Zoysia Plugs (50 Full & Lush Grass Plugs)
– Zoysia Plugs (100 Plugs)
– Zenith Zoysia Grass Seeds (1/8 lb. of seeds)

4. Centipedegrass

While this grass type is equally low-maintenance, centipedegrass doesn’t like shade, extended drought, or heavy foot traffic.

Classification: Warm-season grass

Spreads by: Above-ground stolons

Shade tolerance: Low to moderate

Drought tolerance: High

Foot traffic tolerance: Low

Maintenance needs: Weekly mowing, dethatching, and pest control

Recommended mowing height: Mow to 1.5 to 2.5 inches

Grass Seed Options:

– Gulf Kist Coated Centipedegrass Seeds (1 lb.)
– Scotts EZ Seed Patch and Repair Centipedegrass (3.75 lbs.)
– TifBlair Centipedegrass (5-lb. bag)

Like many cities, Arlington has a year-round ban on watering lawns between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., when the sun is most likely to evaporate the moisture. Early morning is always best for watering your yard since nighttime irrigation can invite pests and disease.

Need help preparing your lawn? Visit our Arlington lawn care page to get in touch with a professional! In addition to Arlington, we provide lawn care services in other Texas cities, including Houston and Austin.

Main image credit: City of Arlington, Texas, Office of Communication / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA

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