California Grass Seed

USDA Zone Map For California & Best Grass Seed Choices

Page Index:

Grasses used in California consist of cool season and warm season grasses.

Cool season grasses (Northern Cal - Cool Climate Zones):
The major cool season grasses that are commonly established in cool summer regions include Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass and tall fescue. These grasses can be seeded alone to a lawn or many times mixes containing Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass are used. Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass are both quite fine textured grasses that have a good year-round green color. The new improved, or elite varieties of bluegrass and ryegrass will make an excellent lawn for many years if properly maintained. Tall fescue, is much coarser textured because of a characteristic broad leaf blade. It does, however, provide a year-round green color and is considered very wear tolerant. Because of its toughness and comparatively low maintenance requirement, tall fescue is frequently used for low maintenance, high traffic lawns. Tall fescue is more heat and drought tolerant the ryegrass or bluegrass and can be be used down into Mid California, but not Southern California unless that area is quite shady. Fine fescue may also be used at high elevations of California where freezing temperatures are common and in shady areas.

Warm season grass (Mid to Southern Cal - Warm Climate Zones):
Bermudagrass is the most commonly used warm season grass in the interior regions of California with high summer temperatures. Bermuda grass has good growth, color, texture and density during the warm spring, summer and early fall; however, they do go dormant during the winter months. Bermuda can be established in the spring or early summer by seed, whereas, hybrid bermuda must be established in root stock in sod, stolons, or plugs, which can be purchased from your local nursery. Lesser used warm season grasses are St. Augustine (vegetative only), zoysia (Southern Cal), and buffalo grass. Buffalo grass is excellent for the adverse conditions found in the lower valley of the desert southwest in California. Because of its drought tolerance, low nutritional requirements and short stature, it is drawing increasing attention for its potential use as a low-maintenance turfgrass for California. Like bermuda grass, all warm season grasses grow best during the spring, summer and early fall and are dormant in winter.

Below is the USDA Zone Map for California so you can determine which zone you reside in. Below that are our picks for your state which will do best in your area. Next on this page are tables which list various grasses and their characteristics so you can compare before you decide on your purchase. Click on the product name (ie. Midnight) for more information about that grass and to make your purchase.

USDA Zone Map For California
California Grass Seed California Zones

Best Grasses For California
Product Name Species Category Applications
La Prima Bermuda Grass Warm Season Lawns - Full Sun
Yukon Bermuda Grass Warm Season Lawns - Full Sun
Supreme Buffalo Grass Warm Season Lawns - Full Sun
Zenith Zoysia Grass Warm Season Lawns - Mostly Sunny to Full Sun
Compadre Zoysia Grass Warm Season Lawns - Mostly Sunny to Full Sun
Seashore Paspalum Seashore Paspalum Warm Season Coastal Lawns - Mostly Sunny to Full Sun
Champion Ryegrass Rye Grass Cool Season Lawns - Winter Overseed On Warm Season Grasses
Lawns - Full Sun in Cool Zones
Combat Extreme Fescue - Turf Type Cool Season Lawns - Partial to Full Sun
Midnight Kentucky Bluegrass Cool Season Lawns - Full Sun in Cool Zones
World Cup Kentucky Bluegrass Cool Season Lawns - Full Sun in Cool Zones
Showtime Fine Fescue, Rye, Bluegrass Mix Cool Season Lawns - Mostly Sunny to Full Sun in Cool Zones
Poa Supina Supina Bluegrass Mix Cool Season Lawns - Very Shady in Cool Zones
Highland Colonial Bentgrass Cool Season Coastal Lawns - Full Sun
Legacy Fine Fescue Cool Season Lawns - Partial Sun in Cool Zones

Compare Various Grasses For Their Characteristics
Cool Season
Grasses
Leaf
Texture
Establish
Rate
Nitrogen
Use
Water
Use
Drought
Tolerance
Salinity
Tolerance
Shade
Tolerance
Bentgrass - Creeping Fine Moderate
to Fast
Low to
Moderate
High Poor to
Moderate
High Poor to
Moderate
Bentgrass - Colonial Fine Moderate
to Fast
Low Moderate Poor to
Moderate
Moderate Moderate
Bluegrass - Kentucky Moderate
to Fine
Slow Moderate
to High
Moderate
to High
Good Moderate Poor
Bluegrass - Rough Moderate
to Fine
Slow Moderate
to High
Moderate
to High
Poor Moderate Excellent
Fescue - Chewings Fine Moderate Moderate
to Low
Moderate Good
to Excellent
Low Excellent
Fescue - Hard Fine Slow to
Moderate
Low to
Very Low
Moderate Excellent Low to
Moderate
Excellent
Fescue - Creeping Fine Moderate Low to
Moderate
Moderate Good Low Excellent
Fescue - Turf Type Moderate
to Coarse
Moderate Moderate
to High
Low to
Moderate
Excellent Low Good to
Excellent
Ryegrass - Perennial Fine to
Moderate
Very Fast Moderate
to High
Moderate
to High
Good Poor to
Moderate
Poor to
Moderate
Warm Season
Grasses
Leaf
Texture
Establish
Rate
Nitrogen
Use
Water
Use
Drought
Tolerance
Salinity
Tolerance
Shade
Tolerance
Bahiagrass Coarse
toVery Coarse
Slow to
Moderate
Low Low Excellent Excellent Moderate
to Good
Bermudagrass Fine
to Moderate
Moderate
to Fast
Moderate Moderate
to High
Excellent Very Good Poor
Blue Grama Fine
to Moderate
Slow to
Moderate
Low Low Excellent Moderate Very Poor
Buffalograss Moderate
to Coarse
Slow to
Moderate
Low Low Excellent Moderate Very Poor
Carpetgrass Coarse Moderate
to Fast
Low High Low Low Excellent
Centipedegrass Moderate
to Coarse
Slow Low Low Good Moderate Moderate
to Good
Seashore Paspalum Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate Excellent Excellent Good
Zoysiagrass Fine
to Medium
Slow to
Moderate
Moderate Moderate Excellent Good Moderate
to Good
Compare Various Grasses For Their Characteristics - Continued
Cool Season
Grasses
Fertility
Needs
Wear
Resistance
Mowing
Height
Cold
Tolerance
Acid Soil
Tolerance
Thatching
Tendency
Heat
Tolerance
Bentgrass - Creeping High Low Low Low Medium
to High
High High
Bentgrass - Colonial High Low Low Low Medium
to High
High High
Bluegrass - Kentucky Medium Medium
to High
Medium High Medium Medium Medium
Bluegrass - Rough Medium Medium Medium High Medium Medium Medium
Fescue - Chewings Low Low Medium Medium
to High
Medium
to High
Low to
Medium
Low to
Medium
Fescue - Hard Low Low Medium Medium
to High
Medium
to High
Low to
Medium
Low to
Medium
Fescue - Creeping Low Low Medium High Medium
to High
Low to
Medium
Low to
Medium
Fescue - Turf Type Low to
Medium
Medium
to High
Medium
to High
Medium High Low High
Ryegrass - Perennial Medium High Low to
Medium
Medium Medium Low Medium
to High
Warm Season
Grasses
Fertility
Needs
Wear
Resistance
Mowing
Height
Cold
Tolerance
Acid Soil
Tolerance
Thatching
Tendency
Heat
Tolerance
Bahiagrass Low Medium
to High
High Low Low Medium
to High
High
Bermudagrass Medium High Low to
Medium
Low to
Medium
Medium Medium High
Blue Grama Low Low High High Low Low High
Buffalograss Low Low High High Low Low High
Carpetgrass Low Medium
to High
Low Medium
to High
Medium
to High
High Low
Centipedegrass Low Low Medium
to High
Medium
to High
High Medium High
Seashore Paspalum Medium
to High
Medium
to High
Low Medium Low Medium
to High
High
Zoysiagrass Low to
Medium
Medium
to High
Low to
Medium
High Low to
Medium
Medium
to High
High

Grass Seed Calculator

To calculate the amount of seed you will need for your project, click one of the links below for the type of grass seed you are interested in. A dialog window will appear listing your selected coverage and providing options for calculating your seed.

If you already know the square feet, length/width or acreage of your yard or lot, you can use the 'Quick Calculator'. If you need to add multiple lots and/or subtract areas that will not require seed, you may use the 'Advanced Calculator.'

The dialog window can be moved by clicking and dragging the top 'title bar'. You may click different types of seed to recalculate without re-entering your data.

Cool Season Grasses:
Type of Grass:Name of Grass:Square Feet Covered
Bentgrass, Colonial Highland 500 to 1000
Bentgrass, Creeping Nu Penn or Penncross 500 to 1000
Bluegrass, Creeping True Putt 350 to 500
Bluegrass, Kentucky Midnight or World Cup 350 to 500
Bluegrass, Rough Maximum 350 to 500
EnvirolawnEnvirolawn 750
Fescue, Fine Hard, Creeping, Sheeps or Legacy 150 to 200
Fescue, Turf Type Tall Combat Extreme 100 to 125
Mixtures, Turf Type Fescue & Kentucky Bluegrass Combat Blue 175 to 200
Mixtures, Ryegrass & Fine Fescue Garland 125 to 175
Mixtures, Ryegrass, Bluegrass, & Fine Fescue Showtime 175 to 250
Mixtures, Rough Bluegrass & Supina Bluegrass Poa Supina 350 to 500
Ryegrass, Perennial Outsidepride Blend 100 to 140
Warm Season Grasses:
Type of Grass:Name of Grass:Square Feet Covered
Bahia Pensacola 175 to 200
Bermuda Laprima, Princess, or Riviera 350 to 500
Blue Grama Bad River 350 to 500
Buffalo Cody or Supreme 350 to 500
CarpetCarpet 200 to 250
Centipede Coated 1000 to 2000
Seashore PaspalumSeashore Paspalum 1000
Zoysia Companion or Zenith 500 to 1000

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