Best Types of Grass in Tennessee (7 Varieties)

For those starting (or replacing) lawns in Tennessee, there are options. Tennessee is a wide state that has multiple ecological “zones”. The climate is mostly mild throughout the year. Drive through Chattanooga in January or February though, and you might even see some snow, but summertime is another thing entirely, and your grass needs to be able to handle the heat too.

Overview of the Best Grass for Tennessee

Different grasses do better in different parts of the state. I’ll focus on a variety of grass types in this article organized by the various parts of the state. Memphis, Nashville, and Knoxville are primary population centers in Tennessee, and you can see what sort of grasses flourish by which ones are popular in each city. I’ll take a brief look at the three regions here.

Best Grass for East Tennessee  

• Bermuda Grass
• Tall Fescue
• Creeping Red Fescue
• Buffalo Grass

Best Grass for West Tennessee

• Zoysia Grass
• Bluegrass
• Ryegrass

Best Grass for Middle Tennessee

• Centipede Grass
• Bluegrass
• Ryegrass
• Zoysia Grass
• Tall Fescue
• Creeping Red Fescue
• Buffalo Grass

7 Types of Grass in Tennessee That Do Well + Why

Bermuda Grass, Tall Fescue, Creeping Red Fescue, Buffalo Grass, Zoysia Grass, Bluegrass, Centipede Grass, and Ryegrass tend to do best in Tennessee, depending on your region. I’m going to look at them each briefly below to help you decide which might be worth a closer look for your property.

Bermuda Grass

There are more varieties of grass that flourish in eastern Tennessee owing to a more moist, tropical climate. The best grass for east Tennessee will likely be Bermuda Grass for many property owners. This grass has a texture somewhere between medium and coarse.

It’s defined as a “sod forming grass”, and flourishes well during the hot summers. Also, Bermuda Grass will generally stay healthy even under heavy foot traffic because of how robust it is.

Parts of Tennessee It’s Particularly Good for: Knoxville / Chattanooga

Tall Fescue

One grass many consider to be one of the best choices for east Tennessee is called “Tall Fescue”. Tall Fescue thrives in a variety of climates and often does well in diverse soils. You don’t have to mow it a lot, and it’s not a grass type that will overtake other varieties. Avoiding the heat is fundamental in Knoxville, so you can see why low-mow grass is popular!

Parts of Tennessee It’s Particularly Good for: Knoxville / Chattanooga

Red Fescue

Creeping Red Fescue differs from Tall Fescue and is another popular east Tennessee grass that grows fast and will cover an area quickly. If you’re dealing with sandy soil, this grass does well. You’ll find Creeping Red on golf courses nationwide.

Parts of Tennessee It’s Particularly Good for: Knoxville / Chattanooga

Buffalo Grass

You’ll see a lot of Buffalo Grass in Knoxville, as it’s one of the most resilient types of grass in Tennessee. Buffalo Grass is a sod-forming grass originally native to Colorado and is defined as a “warm season” grass; which is one reason it works as well as it does in Tennessee. It doesn’t do as well in the cold, which means it’s more appropriate further east and south, as you get to the border with Georgia.

Parts of Tennessee It’s Particularly Good for: Knoxville

Zoysia Grass

Zoysia is a popular grass in west Tennessee areas such as Memphis. As with many other grasses that I’ve included in this list, Zoysia is a warm-weather grass that flourishes in this temperate region of the country. That said, it will tolerate the cold reasonably well, so when you do get the occasional January dusting in Memphis, you won’t have to worry about the lawn being impacted beyond recovery.

Zoysia absolutely adores the sun. It needs between six and eight hours of sunshine a day for best results. So long as the shade isn’t too dark, Zoysia Grass stays healthy. Also, this grass will survive the occasional dry spell, but you won’t have too many of those in Memphis!

Parts of Tennessee It’s Particularly Good for: Memphis

Bluegrass

A couple of other types of grass in Tennessee that flourish on the west side of the state are Bluegrass and Ryegrass (which I’ll discuss below). No, that’s not grass that plays southeast country/folk tunes and gets soaked in rye whiskey. It’s basically the “ideal” for lawns in states like Kentucky. In Tennessee, it’s still a pretty good option. Bluegrass is lush, thick, and can be walked on without too much damage; it’s a durable option.

Parts of Tennessee It’s Particularly Good for: Memphis

Ryegrass

Ryegrass is another turf option popular across Tennessee. Though it’s more of a cold-weather grass, it germinates swiftly, and grows strong. It also handles foot traffic reasonably well, and if you “overseed”, wintertime lawns will stay greener during the cold months. If you’re in Tennessee you know there can be snow. This won’t hurt Ryegrass. Heat is the issue for Ryegrass, so be sure to use it in cooler areas of your property, or seed it alongside other grass varieties that won’t be adversely affected. It’s a good grass for Tennessee, you just want to think about the heat.

Parts of Tennessee It’s Particularly Good for: Memphis

Centipede Grass

Most of the types of grass in Tennessee you can enjoy in the east or west will grow in the middle of the state also, which is why this is the final section. For most locals, the best grass for middle Tennessee will either be any of the options we’ve already looked into, or Centipede Grass. In Nashville, you’re going to see a lot of Centipede Grass.

Centipede Grass is perhaps the epitome of the “warm-season grass”. It’s going to be exceptionally productive when the weather is hot, and it gets hot in Nashville. It is sensitive to cold snaps, and there will be days where there’s a smidgen of snow in Nashville during the cold months, so many homeowners in this region will overseed with Ryegrass, as they do in Memphis.

Really, the best grass for middle Tennessee will be somewhat rooted in your discretion. You may want to experiment with different seeding options and fertilization methods for best results, and factor in cost. Centipede Grass tends to be relatively affordable.

Parts of Tennessee It’s Particularly Good for: Nashville

What Grass Goes Where? Starting a Tennessee Lawn

At the end of the day, you’ve got a lot of options in Tennessee. If you’re in the middle of the state, you can pick and choose from any of the grasses I’ve covered in this article really. Centipede Grass tends to be favored in Nashville, and it’ll grow well across the state, too.

In Memphis in the west, Zoysia, Ryegrass, and Bluegrass tend to do quite well. In Knoxville to the east, where things are a bit more tropical, Bermuda Grass, Tall Fescue, Creeping Red Fescue, and Buffalo Grass tend to be popular.

The key things to remember are that you need grasses that can withstand extreme heat and relatively mild winter cold. Most of these options are in a similar price range. Lastly, foot traffic will differ per lawn, so don’t forget to factor that aspect of care in as well.