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Grass Seed That Grows in the Shade

Not very many grass types thrive in shady locations. In fact, if the shady area receives less that four hours of sunlight daily, it will not support grass growth, according to Clemson University. However, there are cool-season and warm-season grass varieties that gardeners can plant that are shade tolerant.

  1. Zoysia

    • Zoysia is a warm-season grass variety that can spread over shady areas in the lawn. Certain types of zoysia, such as Emerald, El Toro, Diamond, Cavalier, Meyer and Belaire, will perform better than others, according to Clemson University. Plant zoysia grass seed in the spring, when soil temperatures have risen after the last frost. Keep an eye on the thatch layer in zoysia lawns, because they are heavy producers of thatch. A thick thatch of more than 1/2-inch in the shade raises the risk of the grass contracting a fungal disease.

    St. Augustine

    • St. Augustine grass is commonly grown in the southern regions of the United States. It is intolerant of cold temperatures and should be planted in the spring. Varieties of St. Augustine grass that grow well in the shade include Palmetto, Delmar, Jade, Bitterblue, Seville and Raleigh, according to Clemson University. Gardeners may have a difficult time locating seed for St. Augustine grass because it typically is planted as sod. However, grass seed producers have recently been producing more St. Augustine grass seed, according to Texas A&M University.

    Fescue

    • Fescue is a cool-season grass type that generally is planted in the fall or after the heat of summer. It is important to plant fescue grass seed early enough for it to mature before the winter months. Shade-tolerant fescue types include creeping red fescue, hard fescue, tall fescue and chewings fescue, according to the University of Wisconsin. Avoid planting fescue in areas that receive heavy foot traffic, because the grass will become damaged.

    Bluegrass

    • Most bluegrass types are intolerant of shady areas. However, supina and rough bluegrass varieties perform well in the shade and in moist areas, according to the University of Wisconsin. In addition, both grass types can fill in bare areas quickly. Keep supina blue grass at 2-1/2 inches in height to prevent it from becoming stringy looking, as recommended by the University of Wisconsin. Avoid planting Kentucky bluegrass in the shade. Kentucky bluegrass has difficulty spreading and has high risk of contracting fungal diseases such as powdery mildew.

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Growing Grass
  1. The Best Fescue Seed for Hills
  2. Grass Seed for Dense Shade
  3. The Best Grass for Hot Shade
  4. Which Rye Grass Grows Best in the Shade?
  5. What Kind of Grass Seed to Plant in the Fall
  6. Sod That Grows in Shade
  7. Grass That Thrives in Shade
  8. Grass Blend That Grows in the Sun & Shade
  9. Centipede Grass in the Shade
  10. What Kind of Grass Grows in the Shade in Oklahoma?
  11. The Best Fescue Grass Seed
  12. What Grass Lives in the Shade?

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