The short answer to this question is that the most expensive types of grass seed are proprietary and not yet widely produced or they are recently popular, time-intensive to manufacture, and may have a patent attached to the strain, production method, or coating. How much a particular type or strain of grass seed will cost also relies heavily on where you are located.
Many grass seed manufacturers and distributors have an agreement in place where they are not allowed to sell grass seed in certain areas. This reduces competition and allows prices to be set individually in each region. Contacting your local seed distributors or stores can help you determine how much a particular seed type would cost you, though estimates for each type in this article are provided.
Introducing Some of the Most Expensive Grass Seeds
Most grass seed that you can find on the shelves of your local hardware or feed store will cost you $4 to $5 a pound for up to 50 lbs, with bulk discounts kicking in for every 50 lb increment. For most lawns, the grass types on offer here work very well.
If, however, you have an uncommon type of terrain or climate, you may need a “specialty” strain or grass seed blend to get the lawn you want. These will cost more as they took more time to develop and propagation of these strains may take more work. It’s also important to note that the general rule is that 1 pound of grass seed will cover about 1000 square feet.
Below are several examples of the more expensive grass seed types, though your exact cost will depend on where you live and what it takes to use this seed in your local climate. Before you buy, it’s also a good idea to contact any local companies that specialize in lawns and grass seed distribution to see if they have anything available that might only be available in your region as many seed varieties aren’t readily available online and rely on the more traditional, local seed sales and distribution method.
TifBlair Centipede Grass Seed
At about $45 per pound on average, TifBlair centipede grass is the most expensive strain of a traditional grass type on this list. It is low-maintenance with a growth rate of just over half of the average for centipede grass. Given that this is already a lower-maintenance grass type, an even slower growth rate may mean mowing as little as once a month for most of the season.
Beyond reduced mowing, TifBlair Centipede grass is drought tolerant and will go dormant quickly with extended drought conditions. It will lose its color during this dormancy period, but it will green up in as little as 1 week with sufficient rain or irrigation.
TifBlair Centipede grass seeds will produce a light green blade with an average, coarse texture like most centipede grasses. It tolerates full sun very well and can handle bright, dappled shade. Ideal for zones 7b to 11a. TifBlair grasses also require an acidic pH for best results (as low as 5.)
Pearl’s Premium Ultra-Low Maintenance Lawn Seed Mixtures
Pearl’s Premium grass mixes come in at just under $10 per pound, excluding tax and transport costs. These grass seed mixtures come in several sun and shade options and do not contain fertilizer or other add-ins.
Pearl’s Premium grass seed is a little expensive compared to the more commonly available options, but they claim that this cost is easily made up in maintenance savings. The benefit of a Pearl’s Premium lawn can be found in the fact that the strains of grass included in any of their mixes are low-maintenance varieties. This means that all of these grass strains were developed to grow slower and use less water and other resources than the more common grass types you might find at a hardware or feed store.
Pearl’s Premium is approved by the Safelawns Foundation as they do not include any potentially harmful seed coating or add-ins. Pearl’s Premium is occasionally available at select Whole Foods stores in the spring season. Finding this grass seed there can reduce transport costs.
Monaco Bermudagrass Seed
Monaco bermudagrass ranges from $7 to $12 per pound depending on your area of the country and if you have any local distributors. This grass seed is an “upgrade” to the similar “Riviera” bermudagrass seed.
Monaco is marketed as water-smart and ideal for full sun lawns. It works well in the transition zone and anywhere from zone 6 through 10. The lawn produced by Monaco grass seed is typically dark green with a relatively smooth blade for Bermuda grass. It only comes in a coated variety and should establish quickly.
Monaco bermudagrass is also supposed to better survive the cold compared to other Bermuda grass options. It stays greener longer in the fall and greens up sooner in the spring. Further, the manufacturer says that this strain of Bermudagrass is somewhat quicker to establish itself compared to the more standard, common varieties.
Princess 77 Bermuda Grass Seed
Princess 77 can run from $10 to $25 per pound, depending on how much you buy at a time, as well as when and where you buy it. Though many claim that Princess 77 will be completely replaced by Arden 15 in the next few years, it’s still a strong grass seed with many champions. The price per pound is likely to go up in the next few years as this seed strain becomes harder to find.
Princess 77 is another grass meant for use in warm-season areas and transition zones. It was originally developed for use on competitive fields, including golf courses. It germinates in just 5 days and can establish itself into a full lawn with adequate coverage in as little as 8 weeks.
The color of a lawn produced by Princess 77 is dark green with a medium-to-coarse texture. It holds up very well to traction. It can take fluctuations in water supply without issue. Princess 77 is an ideal choice for any lawn that needs to be uniform. Princess 77 does require weekly maintenance, given its fast growth and recovery speed. It’s not a slow-growing variety or a low-fertilizer lawn type.
Arden 15 Bermuda Grass Seed
At $9 to $30 per pound, depending on quantity discounts and region of sale, Arden 15 is the newer strain of Bermuda grass that is replacing Princess 77 with many seed producers and distributors. The cost of Arden 15 should go down in the next few years as this transition continues.
Like Princess 77, this is a hybrid strain that will not reproduce through seed. If you end up with a bald patch in your lawn at any time after planting an Arden 15 lawn, a cutting from another section of your lawn or fresh grass seed from a supplier will be needed to restore it.
Arden 15 is ideal for any lawn in zones 7 through 10 that needs durability. It produces a dark green lawn with a medium-coarse texture, like Princess 77. The improvement to Arden 15 over Princess 77 is found in how quickly this variety greens up in the spring and how fast it can go dormant in the fall.
Purple Eragrostis Spectabilis (Love Grass)
Though not a traditional lawn grass species, Love Grass is a popular choice for alternative lawns or plantings of native plants interspersed with lawn segments to create a tamed, “prairie” feel and reduce water and fertilizer usage. As far as alternative-lawn grasses go, Purple Love Grass is a more expensive grass type.
Purple Eragrostis Spectabilis seeds will cost you about $180 per pound, though the cost may dip a little in the coming years as popularity and demand are expected to increase slightly as prairie-type lawns become more popular.
Ideal for zones 5 to 9 and lawns with full to part sun, Love Grass gives your lawn a purple, misty look. It can reach a height of 2 feet and is often mown just 4 times a year. It attracts wildlife of all sizes, including rabbits, songbirds, and deer. It will not attract Canadian Geese (to your relief, I’m, sure).
Argentine Bahiagrass Seed
While not a specific strain or brand, Argentine Bahiagrass is, on the whole, an expensive grass type. At a minimum, Bahia grass will cost $7 per pound. A reliable brand of treated seed with a guarantee to grow or germinate will cost closer to $20 per pound.
Bahia produces a lawn that is fine in texture and deep green in color. Each blade of grass will be paper thin and about a quarter-inch in width. The grass seed is often sold coated and is ideal for warm-season zones only (zones 8+).
Once established, the roots of Bahia grass can dig down to a foot or more, making this one of the most difficult grass types to tear out or damage at a root level. Bahia grass makes a good lawn grass but can also double as a pasture grass. Full sun is ideal though small zones of bright shade are tolerated.
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