Common Types of Zoysia Grass

When it comes to selecting the best zoysia grass for your home lawn, it’s normal for a hundred different things to be going through your mind. With zoysia being one of the most popular types of turfgrass available, a lot of homeowners are excited to hear there are different types of zoysia grass to choose from.

Certain zoysia grass types have distinct characteristics that perform differently in various environments.

For example, if you really like zoysia grass but live in an area that may endure periods of drought, EMPIRE^® Zoysia is a great pick. If you have a lawn with a lot of shady areas, Innovation^® Zoysia may be an ideal choice. read on for more information about the different zoysia sod types.

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• EMPIRE Zoysia
• Innovation Zoysia
• CitraZoy Zoysia
• Geo Zoysia
• Meyer Zoysia
• Palisades Zoysia
• Zeon Zoysia
• Zorro Zoysia
• El Toro

Types of Zoysia Grass

Zoysia is a warm season variety native to southeastern and eastern areas of continental Asia such as Japan, Korea and China. There are a genus of eight species named after Austrian botanist Karl von Zois, and three of the different species are common in the United States.

These three zoysia types are: Zoysia japonica, Zoysia matrella and Zoysia tenuifolia. Each of these three types of zoysia grass differ by cold tolerance, texture and aggressiveness.

Learn more in All About Zoysia Grass.

Pictured above from left to right: Zoysia japonica, Zoysia matrella and Zoysia tenuifolia.

EMPIRE Zoysia

EMPIRE Zoysia is a Brazilian Zoysia japonica developed for a wide spectrum of applications including many home lawns throughout the southern two-thirds of the United States.

EMPIRE has an improved disease resistance compared to El Toro, which is why it does so well in the southern and tropical areas of the United States. Since EMPIRE was bred in Brazil, it can perform really well in tropical, warm climates that receive a lot of rain.

EMPIRE offers exceptional performance, low maintenance, a blue-green color and a blade width that is wider than most other zoysia varieties. EMPIRE also grows in a wide variety of soil and climate conditions, which make it a great choice for home lawns in many locations.

EMPIRE performs well in sandy and clay type soils throughout the southern U.S. and has tough runners, rhizomes and deep roots that provide excellent sod strength, wearability and improved drought tolerance.

EMPIRE exhibits moderate shade tolerance, which is typical of most zoysias, and is chinch bug resistant. If you’ve had a chinch bug problem in the past, then this grass may be the best choice for you.

It’s the first zoysia to demonstrate improved tolerance to large patch when compared to Meyer Zoysia in side-by-side plantings. Additionally, EMPIRE is highly tolerant of most herbicides, making it easier to control weeds.

EMPIRE Zoysia is a patented and trademarked product of Sod Solutions, Inc.

EMPIRE Zoysia Characteristics

• Ideal Use: Home lawns with 6–8 hours of sunlight, golf, parks and commercial landscapes
• Mow Height: 1–2 inches
• Wear Tolerance: Very Good
• Injury Recovery: Very Good
• Shade Tolerance: Good
• Drought Tolerance: Very Good

More Information on EMPIRE Zoysia:

• All About EMPIRE Zoysia Sod
• EMPIRE Zoysia Maintenance
• EMPIRE Zoysia White Paper
• Fertilization
• Deficit Irrigation and Nutrient Leaching Study
• Drought Tolerance & Drought Resistance
• Mowing Height and Frequency Among Turf Varieties

Innovation Zoysia

Innovation Zoysia is a newer, more versatile zoysia grass developed by researchers at Kansas State University and Texas A&M University. Innovation is very cold tolerant allowing it to grow up into the transition zone.

Innovation also performs better in the transition zone than Geo® Zoysia, which we talk about farther down in this article. This zoysia grass variety is hardy, yet attractive, has a very good shade tolerance and is easy to maintain. Aesthetically, Innovation is a fine-bladed, appealing, dark green zoysia grass with a soft feel.

Innovation was developed to improve upon the industry standard, Meyer, which was released in 1952 and is widely used for its excellent cold hardiness in the transition zone.

Looking to improve on this standard, researchers crossed a Meyer-type Zoysia japonica with a Zoysia matrella, a variety which is finer-bladed and possesses a more dense canopy. Innovation features a good resistance to cold, disease and insects, while offering the finer leaf blades in demand today and a better overall turfgrass quality.

Innovation demonstrates a faster establishment grow-in and damage recovery rate than Meyer. It also has an extended fall color and earlier spring green-up while offering a level of shade tolerance found in the finer bladed varieties.

Innovation Zoysia is a patented and trademarked product of Sod Solutions, Inc.

Innovation Zoysia Characteristics:

• Ideal Use: Golf, parks, commercial landscapes and home lawns
• Mow Height: 1–2 inches
• Wear Tolerance: Good
• Injury Recovery: Good
• Shade Tolerance: Good
• Drought Tolerance: Very Good

More Information on Innovation Zoysia:

• Innovation Zoysiagrass: A New High Quality Variety From Texas A&M and Kansas State
• Innovation Zoysia Maintenance
• Innovation Zoysia White Paper
• Release of KSUZ 0802 Zoysiagrass
• Cultivar Registration of ‘KSUZ 0802’ Zoysiagrass

CitraZoy Zoysia

CitraZoy^® Zoysia provides a manicured, attractive look without the inputs other superfine zoysia grasses require. CitraZoy requires less mowing as it doesn’t have to be kept as short as other finer-bladed zoysia cultivars in order to perform its best.

This newly developed fine-bladed zoysia grass was developed by the University of Florida that features excellent fall color retention and spring green-up, leaving it green longer in the year that other turfgrass varieties.

Alongside it’s low-maintenance attributes and fall color retention/spring green-up, CitraZoy doesn’t wilt or leaf curl during prolonged periods of drought.

It won’t be as dense growing and it won’t have the thatch build-up that you may have with other superfine zoysias, so it’ll just be easier to maintain and keep looking attractive year-round. Finally, CitraZoy Zoysia features improved disease tolerance to large patch.

CitraZoy Zoysiagrass is a patented and trademarked product of Sod Solutions, Inc.

CitraZoy Zoysia Characteristics:

• Ideal Use: Golf, parks, commercial and home lawns
• Mow Height: 1–3 inches but we generally recommend 1–2 inches
• Disease Tolerance: Excellent
• Injury Recovery: Good
• Shade Tolerance: Very Good
• Drought Tolerance: Excellent

More Information About CitraZoy Zoysia:

• CitraZoy Zoysia

Geo Zoysia

Geo Zoysia is a fine-bladed type of zoysia grass with a deep green color that brings high curb appeal to the homeowner. Geo Zoysia was bred from a cross between Zoysia japonica and Zoysia tenuifolia.

Geo Zoysia is easily one of the most beautiful turfgrasses you will find in a landscape. Its excellent shade tolerance is comparable to most other zoysias and is extremely wear tolerant, making this a top choice for residential lawns.

It also thrives in a variety of soil and climate conditions and features a reduced thatch build-up compared to other extremely fine-textured zoysia grasses.

Geo Zoysia requires a little more maintenance than that of other zoysias, but it will make your lawn the best looking in the neighborhood. Geo Zoysia is a patented and trademarked product of Sod Solutions, Inc.

Geo Zoysia Characteristics:

• Ideal Use: Golf, parks, commercial and home lawns
• Mow Height: .5–1.5 inches
• Wear Tolerance: Very Good
• Injury Recovery: Good
• Shade Tolerance: Very Good
• Drought Tolerance: Very Good

More Information About Geo Zoysia:

Geo Zoysia Maintenance

Meyer Zoysia

Meyer Zoysia is a medium-bladed zoysia grass that has remained successful for over 60 years throughout the southern United States. Meyer is slow growing, dark green and very dense. It also demonstrates exceptional cold tolerance into the transition zone.

Meyer Zoysia develops a very dense turf, demonstrates good cold tolerance and grows well in partial shade. Meyer Zoysia is best adapted to the transition zone where summers are too hot and humid for cool season grasses and winters too cold for bermuda grass.

When compared to other zoysia grasses such as Innovation Zoysia, Meyer is more susceptible to disease and to the bluegrass billbug. Meyer is also not as cold tolerant as Innovation Zoysia.

Meyer is also much slower to recover when damaged compared to Innovation or other coarse-textured Zoysia japonicas. Meyer Zoysia is no longer licensed and does not have strict growing regulations.

Meyer Zoysia Characteristics:

• Ideal Use: Parks, commercial landscapes and home lawns
• Mow Height: 1.0–1.5 inches
• Wear Tolerance: Good
• Injury Recovery: Good
• Shade Tolerance: Very Good
• Drought Tolerance: Good

Palisades Zoysia

Palisades Zoysia is a medium-to-coarse textured zoysia grass known for its drought tolerance. It is a highly dense turf that is frequently used on home lawns and its thicker blade width makes it a little easier to maintain.

Its low maintenance requirements make it a highly sought after grass for homeowners, but it is not as shade tolerant as some of the finer-bladed zoysias. Palisades is, however, more heat tolerant, salt tolerant and cold-hardy than some of the other zoysias. It also has a good fall color retention.

Because of its quick establishment rate and recuperative ability, it is very wear tolerant and can be used in even some of the more trafficked home lawns. Palisades Zoysia is a certified turfgrass variety that was developed by the Turf Lab at Texas A&M University.

Palisades Zoysia Characteristics:

• Ideal Use: Home lawns, parks, golf, commercial and residential landscapes
• Mow Height: 1–2 inches
• Wear Tolerance: Very Good
• Injury Recovery: Very Good
• Shade Tolerance: Moderate
• Drought Tolerance: Very Good

Zeon Zoysia

Zeon^® Zoysia is an improved zoysia grass cultivar with a medium green color that thrives in the heat of the lower South and cooler temperatures of the lower portion of the transition zone.

It was developed to provide the landscape industry with a superior fine-bladed zoysia with increased shade tolerance, low incidence of thatch production and an accelerated spread rate. It has a higher resistance for insects and disease compared to other warm season grasses.

Zeon has extremely low maintenance and fertility requirements. Its dense growth habits make it easy for Zeon to outcompete weeds, but Zeon is a much finer zoysia grass if you are looking for something really fine-textured.

It can also be mowed using a standard rotary type machine. Zeon Zoysia is a patented product of The Turfgrass Group, Inc.

Zeon Zoysia Characteristics

• Ideal Use: Golf, parks, commercial landscapes and home lawns
• Mow Height: 1.5 inches
• Wear Tolerance: Excellent
• Injury Recovery: Good
• Shade Tolerance: Very Good
• Drought Tolerance: Good

Zorro Zoysia

Zorro Zoysia is a very fine-bladed zoysia with a dark green color that is suitable residential lawns. Zorro has superior shade tolerance to most other warm season grasses, allowing it to grow in areas other grasses can’t.

Zorro has excellent fall color retention and is an ideal choice for the southern parts of the United States. The leaf texture is considered to be very fine-bladed and soft to feel.

Zorro has hunting billbug, fall armyworm and large patch resistance. It thrives in full sun or partial shade and only requires 3–4 hours of sunlight to thrive. This variety of zoysia grass can be mowed with a reel mower at 1⁄4 inch or with a rotary at 3 inches.

Zorro also has one of the lowest water requirements of the zoysias. Zorro Zoysia is a patented product of King Ranch Turfgrass.

Zorro Zoysia Characteristics:

• Ideal Use: Home lawns, commercial landscapes and parks
• Mow Height: 1-2 inches
• Wear Tolerance: Very Good
• Injury Recovery: Not Sure
• Shade Tolerance: Good
• Drought Tolerance: Very Good

El Toro Zoysia

El Toro is a lighter green zoysia grass with a medium blade that forms a dense canopy and can handle a lot of traffic. This grass has a slower vertical growing rate, making it great for homeowners looking for less mowing requirements.

Although it has a slower growth rate, it tolerates heat as well as other zoysias once it is established. El Toro will withstand heavy foot traffic and grows rapidly in hot temperatures.

El Toro is resistant to most diseases, will grow in most soil types, requires less water and fewer mowings than other grasses. El Toro also has a really good shade tolerance and can tolerate periods of drought.

El Toro Zoysia Characteristics:

• Ideal Use: Golf, commercial landscapes and home lawns
• Mow Height: 1.5–2.5 inches
• Wear Tolerance: Good
• Injury Recovery: Good
• Shade Tolerance: Moderate
• Drought Tolerance: Good

If you’re a homeowner who really loves the look of zoysia grass in your home lawn, the best thing you can do is learn about the different zoysia grass varieties available so that you can pick the right zoysia cultivar for your needs and environment. This will help you make the most informed decision so that your choice will flourish and thrive in your lawn.

We hope this provides you with a little more information about the different types of zoysia grass available. For more information on zoysia grass, read All About Zoysia Sod. Be sure to also fertilize your new lawn with the best fertilizer for zoysia grass, the Lawnifi® New Lawn Starter Box.