Best Grass Types for Riverside, CA

It can be hard to choose a grass type when establishing or replanting your lawn in the Riverside area. Thanks to a temperate climate, the growing season in Southern California is ideal for many grass varieties. Each type of grass offers its own unique qualities that homeowners will enjoy in making their lawn lush and vibrant all year round. Consider the following guide to grass types that will grow well in Riverside, California.

Tall Fescue

This cool season grass is popular in the Riverside area because it will be dormant throughout the drought ridden summer. This makes it a great choice for those homeowners who don’t want to water a lawn during the summer or don’t have the means to do so due to drought regulations. Tall Fescue has narrow blades and is known to absorb water well which is important in the Riverside climate. It is considered a low maintenance grass that doesn’t need too much attention. Tall Fescue would be a great choice for those homeowners who don’t have dogs though as the grass has a hard time standing up to dog excrement.

Lawn Mowing Height: 3-3.5 inches

St. Augustine

This subtropical loving grass is considered a great turfgrass and can be very aggressive. St. Augustine is a warm season grass meaning that it loves humid conditions and can easily survive the summer drought season. It does require a little more maintenance due to its quick growing capabilities and quick thatch build up. St. Augustine is one of the most shade tolerant warm season grasses available and offers a coarse-textured medium green colored blade. This durable grass is a great choice for those Riverside homeowners looking for a beautiful lawn that can handle the hot summertime.

Lawn Mowing Height: 2.5 - 4 inches

Bermudagrass

This warm season grass is popular in the Riverside area given its amazing ability to handle the humid and hot conditions. Bermudagrass can handle a lot of traffic and is a great choice for those lawns that see activity on a daily basis. This grass type does turn yellow in the winter which causes homeowners to overseed their lawn with a different cool season grass during the winter. Bermudagrass is great for those weed prone lawns but does require a high level of maintenance in mowing, watering, and fertilizing as well as overseeding in the winter.

Lawn Mowing Height: 2 inches

Zoysiagrass

This warm season grass is slow to grow but is a great option for those homeowners looking for an extremely drought tolerant grass variety. Zoysiagrass is originally from Southeast Asia and can handle a lot of heat as well as foot traffic. It stands up well to pets and provides a lush lawn for those homeowners willing to be patient after planting. Zoysiagrass can do well in both sunny and shaded conditions. It is a fine to medium textured grass that provides a dark green carpet of coverage for area lawns. This low maintenance grass does go dormant during winter and becomes brown which can be off putting for some Riverside homeowners.

Lawn Mowing Height: 1 - 2 inches

Perennial Ryegrass

This rapidly growing grass is best for those lawns that are in sunny to partly shaded conditions. It is a finely textured grass that can handle high traffic which is great for those homeowners who use their lawns on a daily basis. This cool season grass will grow well throughout the year excluding summer. Perennial Ryegrass should be planted in the fall and is great for those homeowners looking for a quick blanket of green on a newly established lawn. It is competitive and is a bunchgrass that will need to be reseeded. Perennial Ryegrass is a bit higher maintenance than other grasses though.

Lawn Mowing Height: 1.5 - 2.5 inches

Need help preparing your lawn? Visit our Riverside lawn care page to get in touch with a professional! In addition to Fresno, we provide lawn care services in other California cities, including Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Fresno.

Featured image source: Zillow Riverside