Understanding Zoysia Grasses

By SHANNON HATHAWAY, Landscape Horticulturist and Sod Specialist

Central North Carolina is considered a transition zone for grasses. We are on the southern edge of the cool season grass range and the northern edge of the warm season grass range. What does that mean for us? It means growing cool-season grasses like Fescue is challenging. As the climate changes, it becomes more difficult to grow Fescue successfully. But we are ideally located for the transitional warm season grasses like Zoysia and Bermuda. The more tropical warm-season grasses, like Centipede, St. Augustine, and Bentgrass, are more challenging to grow here. Our climate is ideally suited for Bermuda and Zoysia. Most people are familiar with Bermuda lawns because builders plant them extensively in this area. The price of Zoysia grasses makes them a bit less common, but they are my favorite grasses. 

So what is Zoysia? Native to tropical Asia, New Zealand, and the Pacific islands, Zoysia is a low-growing grass named for Slovenian botanist Karl Von Zois (1756-1799). It is a perennial grass that goes into winter dormancy in northern locations like North Carolina. While in dormancy it has a golden yellow color and does not require mowing. When Zoysia is green and actively growing, its slow growth means the mowing frequency is every 7-10 days. Zoysia is heat and drought-tolerant, but please remember that no grass wants to go without water for long periods of time. When grass shows signs of decline, supply water to keep it healthy.

Why do I prefer Zoysia to Bermuda?

Let me count the ways!

1. Zoysia’s dense carpet-like growth of roots and turf chokes out weeds better than Bermuda.
2. Slower growth means mowing every 7-10 days. Bermuda grows so quickly that it should be mowed every 4-5 days. 
3. Lush carpet-like growth is soft underfoot – ideal for going barefoot!
4. Zoysia requires fewer chemical treatments than Bermuda. Combine this with the fact that you mow it less frequently, and you can see it has less environmental impact.
5. Zoysia is less invasive in garden beds than in Bermuda, and my garden beds are important to me.
6. Zoysia is so pretty!

Zoysia Varieties

There are several Zoysia varieties available, but the most popular are Zenith and Zeon. There are significant differences between the two, and it is important to understand the needs of each before choosing the variety best suited for your site. 

1. Zenith is wide-bladed, while Zeon is fine-bladed. Zenith resembles a short Fescue, while Zeon has a true carpet-like appearance.
2. Zenith requires lots of sun—6+ hours of direct sun per day in the growing seasons. Zeon is a bit more shade-tolerant but still needs 4+ hours of direct sun per day in the growing season. Neither is truly shade-tolerant. Grasses do not like deep shade—that’s why you don’t see grass growing in the forest.
3. Zenith is more cold-tolerant than Zeon, so Zenith sod can be laid dormant as well as when it is actively growing. Zeon is more cold-sensitive and cannot be sodded when dormant, so it has a more limited sodding season – usually late April through early September, weather permitting. 
4. Zenith is available in seed as well as sod. The seed is expensive and should only be planted in May or early June. It can take three years to establish a full lawn from seed, so most people sod Zenith instead. Zeon is a sterile hybrid and cannot produce viable seed, so it must be sodded. Plugging Zoysia in our area is usually unsuccessful due to our dense clay soils. 
5. Zenith can be allowed to grow a little taller than Zeon. Zenith should be maintained at 1-2” tall, while Zeon should be kept at 1-1.5”. If Zoysias are allowed to grow taller, they shade out their root systems and grow thinner over time. 
6. Zenith is more traffic-tolerant than Zeon. 

Zoysia Preference 

Which do I prefer? I have both! My fenced-in front yard receives 7-8 hours of sun and gets lots of dog and kid traffic, so I have Zenith in front. My backyard is shadier and gets minimal dog and kid traffic, so I have a small, lush Zeon lawn out back in the central area that receives 4-5 hours of direct sun per day. My property is half an acre, but I only have 1200 square feet of lawn in front and 500 square feet of lawn in back. Much of the property is covered by the vegetable garden and orchard, and by woods. I grow grass where it makes sense to grow grass. “The right plant in the right place” applies to grass as well as flowers, trees, and shrubs!

Zoysias are more expensive because they are slower growing, so it takes longer to establish a sod field of Zoysia than it does to establish a sod field of Bermuda. But when you consider the money you save by mowing and edging less frequently, applying fewer chemical treatments, and the lower environmental impact of Zoysia, I feel that Zoysia is the better choice in the long run.

If you have questions or would like an estimate to sod your lawn, contact us at 919.205.4256 to schedule a free consultation!