Sports Turf Manager Association

Warm season grasses are the turf species adapted to favorable growth during warm periods of the growing season. Optimum temperatures for growth are between 80 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit. These grasses are generally found in tropical and subtropical climates. The following map depicts the region’s most favorable for cool and warm season turf growth.
-Turfgrass Management, A.J. Turgeon PhD






Map courtesy of

Most warm season turf growth occurs between late spring to early fall.
-Turfgrass Management, A.J. Turgeon PhD





Picture courtesy of

Warm Season Grasses are made up of both the Eragrostoid and Panicoid subfamilies. In the eragrostoid subfamily, the most common warm season grasses include bermudagrass, buffalograss, and zoysiagrass. In the panicoid subfamily, the most common warm season grasses include bahiagrass, seashore paspalum, kikuyugrass, St. Augustinegrass and centipedegrass. The following provides pictures of each as well as a link for identifying each species.


Eragrostoids:

Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon)




Photo courtesy of

For more identifying characteristics of Bermudagrass, click here.

Buffalograss (Buchloe dactyloides)




Photo courtesy of
University of California

For more identifying characteristics of Buffalograss, click here.

Zoysiagrass (Zoysie japonica)




Photo courtesy of
University of California

For more identifying characteristics of Zoysiagrass, click here.

Panicoids:

Bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum)




Photo courtesy of A.J. Turgeon

For more identifying characteristics of Bahiagrass, click here.

Seashore Paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum)




Photo courtesy of
University of California

For more identifying characteristics of Seashore Paspalum, click here.

Kikuyugrass (Pennisetum clandestinum)




Photo courtesy of
University of California

For more identifying characteristics of Kikuyugrass, click here.

St. Augustinegrass (Stenotaphium secundatum)




Photo courtesy of
University of California

For more identifying characteristics of St. Augustinegrass, click here.

Centipedegrass (Eremuchloa ophiuroides)



Photo courtesy of
Virginia Tech

For more identifying characteristics of Centipedegrass, click here.

A 6 minute video overview of morphological characteristics needed to identify turfgrass species.

A quick reference that allows you to enter identifying characteristics of a plant to determine the species.

Turfgrass Species

Lists pictures, descriptions and articles about warm season grasses

Athletic Field Maintenance for Bermudagrass

General overview of basic management practices associated with warm season turf

Professional Grounds Management Calendar – Includes turf, woody ornamentals and herbaceous ornamentals

Bermudagrass Athletic Field Maintenance Calendar

USGA Turfgrass and Environmental Research Online - Strip Seeding: A New Approach for Converting Cool-season Turf to Warm-Season Grasses

USGA Turfgrass and Environmental Research Online - Seashore Paspalum: Breeding a Turfgrass for the Future

Successful Bermudagrass Overseeding Dependent on Species Selection and Pre-plant Cultivation and Traffic Timing

For more extensive information about individual turfgrass performance, please visit the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) website