Zoysia grass is a popular warm-season turf choice for homeowners seeking a resilient and visually appealing lawn. Once established, it withstands high temperatures and drought conditions well. The grass offers a dense, cushioned feel underfoot, making it a favored selection across various climates. Identifying Zoysia requires understanding its unique characteristics and distinguishing it from other common turf varieties through a detailed, up-close inspection.
Physical Characteristics of Zoysia
Identifying Zoysia involves examining the individual leaf blade and the area where the blade meets the stem. Zoysia blades are generally stiff and medium width, though cultivars vary significantly, ranging from very fine to coarse textures. The leaf tip is sharply pointed or tapered, which gives the turf a somewhat prickly feel, particularly in coarse-bladed varieties.
The upper surface of the leaf blade often features fine, upright hairs, distinguishing it from certain other warm-season grasses. Its color is typically a distinct light to medium green, though some hybrid varieties are darker. Further identification clues are found at the base of the leaf blade, where it connects to the sheath, specifically the ligule and the collar.
The ligule on Zoysia grass is an extremely short fringe of fine hairs, often less than a millimeter long. This structure is located at the junction of the leaf blade and the leaf sheath, which protects the emerging leaf. Directly below this is the collar, which is continuous and often has small hairs present along its edges. The combination of a stiff, pointed blade and this specific hairy ligule and collar structure provides a clear, microscopic fingerprint for Zoysia species.
Growth Habit and Turf Density
The way Zoysia grass grows and spreads is a defining characteristic at the turf level. It is a spreading type that propagates laterally through specialized stems known as runners. These runners include above-ground stolons and below-ground rhizomes.
The presence of both stolons and rhizomes allows Zoysia to slowly colonize an area and create a highly dense turf mat. Rhizomes anchor the grass beneath the soil surface, while stolons weave across the ground, sending down new roots. This dual-spreading mechanism results in the signature “carpet-like” density that effectively chokes out most common weeds.
Because Zoysia is slow-growing, its density makes the turf wear-resistant and durable. This slow growth also means it requires less frequent mowing than faster-growing warm-season grasses. The overall thickness of the turf is often described as stiff or coarse to the touch, which helps confirm its identity in a mature lawn.
Comparing Zoysia to Other Turf Types
Zoysia is often confused with Bermuda grass and St. Augustine grass, making a direct comparison of their physical traits the most practical identification method. The primary distinction between Zoysia and Bermuda grass lies in their growth rate and leaf characteristics. Bermuda grass is known for its rapid, aggressive spread and fast vertical growth, while Zoysia’s spread is noticeably slower.
While both grasses can have fine-textured varieties, Zoysia blades often feel stiffer, and close inspection reveals upright hairs on the Zoysia blade, a feature generally absent on Bermuda grass. Bermuda grass also recovers more quickly from browning, making Zoysia’s browning response to lack of water a distinguishing trait. Since both turn brown during winter dormancy, winter color is not a reliable differentiator.
Comparing Zoysia to St. Augustine grass centers on leaf width and runner structure. St. Augustine has significantly wider, coarse leaf blades, contrasting with the medium-to-fine texture of most Zoysia cultivars. St. Augustine spreads only by thick, above-ground stolons, which are more visible than the finer stolons and subterranean rhizomes of Zoysia. This difference in growth structure means Zoysia can be maintained at a lower mowing height than St. Augustine.