6 Popular Australian Lawns & Grasses
There’s nothing like some fresh landscaping to bring your yard to life, and laying new turf can be a great way to spruce things up.
If you’re thinking of upgrading your lawn, you should give some thought to the species of grass you want to use. Here, we’ll share details on six of the most popular lawn varieties in Australia and their needs!
Buffalo Grass
Key features:
- Drought resistant
- Tolerant of foot traffic
- Low maintenance
- Hardy
This is an ever-popular grass variety in Aussie yards thanks to its low-maintenance, hardy characteristics. There are a few different species of buffalo grass, including Sir Walter, Matilda, Palmetto, and Sapphire, which can be grown from seed or turf. These differ in appearance ever-so-slightly, but overall, buffalo grasses take a lot less work than some others.
Generally drought resistant, buffalo grasses are a great choice, particularly for homes in some of Australia’s hotter locations. They also fare well in yards that get a lot of foot traffic, making them an ideal choice for family homes.
Couch Grass
Key features:
- Affordable
- Drought resistant
- Fast growing
- Requires weekly mowing
Couch grass is another favourite for Australian homeowners, largely thanks to its affordability. An exceptionally drought tolerant variety, this one’s a little more high-maintenance than the last, and if left unattended to, can quickly start growing where you don’t necessarily want it. If you do see this starting to happen, just give it a quick trim to keep it contained!
During its quick-growing seasons over the warmer months, you should aim to mow couch grass weekly. During autumn and winter, fertilisation is a must to ensure you have patch-free couch grass by summertime!
Kikuyu Grass
Key features:
- Thrives in direct sunlight
- Fast growing
- Hardy
- More pest resistant than others
Native to Kenya, kikuyu tolerates the Australian summer heat well, and it thrives on around 6 hours of direct sunlight a day. With this in mind, if your garden doesn’t get direct sunlight, then kikuyu may not be the best grass for you.
This grass variety grows at impressive speeds, so if you do opt to include it in your lawn, you should aim to stay on top of mowing and maintenance to keep it in check. If you’re keen to have kikuyu grass for your lawn but don’t have the time to commit to it, then consider using our mowing services so you can have the best of both worlds!
Tall Fescue
Key features:
- Shade tolerant
- Drought resistant
- Cool season grass
- Good foot traffic tolerance
If your yard doesn’t get the optimal sunlight levels for kikuyu, tall fescue might be a good option. The shade-tolerant grass only needs a hint of light to get by, along with being incredibly drought-tolerant, too.
A cool season grass, the only downside to tall fescue is its susceptibility to pests, making garden pest control an important part of your ongoing lawn maintenance if you opt for this grass. On the bright side, tall fescue has reasonably good foot traffic tolerance, so will be perfect for families with kids who want to play on the lawn.
Zoysia
Key features:
- Low-maintenance
- Takes well to clay and sand soil types
- Ideal in coastal areas
- Warm-climate grass
Arguably the most common grass type in Australia, zoysia is perfect in warm climates, and requires little maintenance, watering, and boosting to grow beautifully. It also won’t sprout up too fast, so there’s no need to factor weekly mowing into your schedule.
If you have trouble growing a lush lawn in your yard’s soil, then it might be worth giving zoysia a go. The variety takes quite well to less-desirable soil types like clay and sand, as well saltier coastal areas.
Queensland Blue Couch Grass
Key features:
- Ideal for tropical climates
- Low maintenance
- Hardy
- Weed resistant
Neither related to the couch grass we’ve previously mentioned or from Queensland, the Queensland blue couch grass is particularly popular in the Sunshine State thanks to its tolerance of tropical climates.
The low-maintenance grass is strong, hardy, and weed-resistant with a soft feel and fluffy blue-green appearance. During summer, you’ll want to mow this variety weekly, but can reduce this to every two weeks during the cooler months.
Get tailored advice from the Lawn Experts at Jim’s Mowing
These are just some of the most popular grasses in Australia, but there’s a lot more to explore when it comes to reviving your yard. For tailored advice or to speak with one of our specialists, contact Jim’s Mowing today, and see just how much our services can do for you!
