Selecting the ideal zoysia for your lawn involves considering the many types of zoysia grass, each suited to different environments.
For example, EMPIRE® Zoysia excels in drought-prone areas, while Innovation® Zoysia is better for shaded lawns. Explore more about the diverse zoysia sod options available.
Zoysia, native to parts of Asia, includes eight species named after botanist Karl von Zois. In the U.S., the common zoysia grass types are Zoysia japonica, Zoysia matrella, and Zoysia tenuifolia, differing in cold tolerance, texture and growth rate.
Common Types of Zoysia Grass
EMPIRE Zoysia Grass
EMPIRE Zoysia, a Brazilian Zoysia japonica variety, is suited for a wide range of applications, particularly in the southern U.S., thanks to its improved disease resistance and ability to thrive in tropical climates.
It's a low maintenance grass that features a blue-green color, and has a wider blade than many zoysias. Adaptable to various soils and climates, EMPIRE is a type of zoysia grass known for its strong sod, durability and drought tolerance. It has moderate shade tolerance, is resistant to chinch bugs and shows improved tolerance to large patch disease.
Additionally, it is highly tolerant of most herbicides, facilitating easier weed control. EMPIRE Zoysia is a patented 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 EMPIRE Zoysia
Where to Buy EMPIRE Zoysia Grass
Innovation Zoysia
Innovation Zoysia, developed by Kansas State University and Texas A&M University, is a cold-tolerant and versatile grass that thrives in the transition zone, outperforming Geo® Zoysia. It is hardy, shade-tolerant, easy to maintain and features a fine-bladed, dark green appearance with a soft feel.
Created to surpass the Meyer variety, Innovation is a cross between Zoysia japonica and the finer-bladed, denser Zoysia matrella, offering better cold, disease and insect resistance. It establishes and recovers faster than Meyer, maintains color into fall, greens up earlier in spring, and provides superior shade tolerance. Innovation Zoysia is patented by Sod Solutions, Inc.
Innovation 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 Innovation Zoysia
Where to Buy Innovation Zoysia Grass
CitraZoy Zoysia
CitraZoy® Zoysia, developed by the University of Florida and patented by Sod Solutions, Inc., is a low-maintenance, fine-bladed grass with superior fall color retention and spring green-up. It requires less mowing than other fine-bladed zoysias and remains green longer.
CitraZoy is resilient during droughts, doesn't become as dense, avoids thatch build-up, and has enhanced disease resistance, making it easier to maintain an attractive appearance year-round.
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 CitraZoy Zoysia
Where to Buy CitraZoy Zoysia Grass
Lobo Zoysia
Lobo Zoysiagrass is a superior zoysia grass variety known for its rapid establishment, excellent turf quality, and minimal maintenance requirements.
Developed through extensive research and testing across diverse climates, it stands out for its ability to retain good color and health under low-input conditions, such as limited irrigation and fertilization.
This makes it an ideal choice for home lawns, golf course fairways, and other high-end uses. Lobo also strongly resists large patch disease and leaf spot fungi, ensuring its longevity and robustness.
Lobo Zoysia Characteristics
- Ideal Use: Golf, parks, commercial and home lawns
- Mow Height: 1–2 inches
- Disease Tolerance: Great
- Injury Recovery: Great
- Shade Tolerance: Great
- Drought Tolerance: Great
Where to Buy Lobo Zoysia Grass
Lobo Zoysia, a recently developed grass by NC State, is currently in limited supply but will become more widely available soon.
Brazos Zoysia
Brazos Zoysiagrass is a newly released variety from the University of Florida, collected originally in the Everglades in 2006. Unlike most of the fine-textured zoysias around it, this unique plant had the broader leaf characteristics of Zoysia japonica. Over a decade of research and testing across multiple universities—including Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, the University of Georgia, and NC State—proved its superior drought performance, turf quality, and adaptability.
Brazos consistently showed excellent results in the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP), finishing as the top-performing entry in 2013 trials and again ranking among the best in 2019. It is valued for its drought tolerance, disease resistance, winter color retention and reliable performance across diverse climates—from Florida heat to colder transition-zone states.
Brazos Zoysia Characteristics
- Ideal Use: Home lawns, golf, parks, and commercial landscapes
- Mow Height: 0.5–2.5 inches
- Wear Tolerance: Very Good
- Injury Recovery: Very Good
- Shade Tolerance: Good (stronger than most japonicas)
- Drought Tolerance: Excellent
- Disease Resistance: Good (less susceptible to large patch compared to many commercial zoysias)
Other Zoysia Varieties (And How Alternative Options Improve on Them)
Homeowners across the country still encounter several long-established zoysia varieties. More recent breeding programs have produced newer zoysia cultivars that outperform them in color, recovery, cold tolerance, uniformity and overall ease of maintenance.
Zorro Zoysia
Zorro is known for its very fine leaf texture, rich green color and excellent shade performance. While beautiful, Zorro shows several limitations:
- Lower winter hardiness than improved varieties
- Slower recovery from wear or damage
- Higher overall maintenance requirements
- Greater inconsistency from grower to grower
Better Alternative: Innovation Zoysia
Why Innovation Is an Upgrade:
- Far better cold tolerance and adaptability
- Faster injury recovery and more reliable grow-in
- Strong shade performance with more uniform turf quality
- Maintains dark color longer into fall and greens up earlier in spring
Innovation delivers the refined look Zorro homeowners love—just with improved resilience and lower input requirements.
Zeon Zoysia
Zeon offers a soft, fine texture and strong shade tolerance, making it a popular choice in many landscapes. However:
- Cold tolerance is limited
- Winter injury may occur in transitional climates
- Wear recovery is slower
- Late-season color quality may decline sooner than other varieties
Better Alternative: Innovation Zoysia
Innovation Zoysia – Developed to improve on older varieties like Zeon with significantly better cold hardiness, faster recovery, denser turf quality and stronger year-round performance. Innovation greens up earlier in spring, holds color longer into fall and recovers more quickly from traffic or damage, making it a more reliable choice for Carolina home lawns, golf and high-use areas.
El Toro Zoysia
El Toro is a long-time staple among Zoysia japonica varieties thanks to its durability and medium texture. That said, El Toro shows its age:
- Tends to develop significant thatch
- Requires more mowing and management
- Color quality and uniformity are weaker than those of newer cultivars
- Disease and pest resistance are not on par with today’s improved options
Better Alternative: EMPIRE Zoysia
Why EMPIRE Is an Upgrade:
- Deeper, more attractive blue-green color
- Less thatch accumulation and reduced mowing requirements
- Excellent drought tolerance and pest resistance
- More consistent turf quality and easier maintenance
EMPIRE provides the rugged performance of El Toro with improved aesthetics and efficiency.
Emerald Zoysia
Emerald is admired for its very fine blades, dark green shade and manicured look. However, it is also one of the most high-maintenance zoysias:
- Slow to establish
- Prone to thatch buildup
- Less tolerant of cold temperatures
- Requires careful management to maintain peak appearance
Better Alternative: Lobo Zoysia
Why Lobo Is an Upgrade:
- Medium-fine blades with exceptional turf quality
- Much faster establishment
- Performs extremely well in low-input or low-maintenance conditions
- Less thatch and easier long-term care
- Strong shade tolerance and excellent seasonal color retention
Lobo keeps the refined look of Emerald while dramatically reducing the work required to maintain it.
Meyer Zoysia (Z-52)
Meyer is one of the oldest and most widely planted Zoysia japonica varieties, especially throughout the transition zone. While it remains valued for its durability and long history of use, Meyer comes with several limitations:
- Slow to establish and spread
- Moderate shade tolerance—less dependable in low-light lawns
- Susceptible to winter injury in some conditions
- Coarser texture than other zoysia options
- Higher maintenance required to achieve top visual quality
Better Alternative: Innovation Zoysia
Why Innovation Stands Out:
- Turf quality significantly improved over Meyer in color, density, and uniformity
- Much faster establishment and quicker recovery from wear or damage
- Finer, more attractive texture with a richer green color
- Better disease resistance and overall turf performance
- More consistent results across a wider range of soils and weather patterns
Although Meyer and Innovation have roughly equal cold tolerance Innovation delivers noticeably better turf quality across nearly every other trait. It retains Meyer’s adaptability while providing superior aesthetics, density, speed of coverage, and overall performance.
Recommended Products Newly Installed Types of Zoysia
FAQs About Types of Zoysia Grass
The best type of zoysia depends on your lawn's needs. Empire, Innovation, CitraZoy, and Lobo Zoysia are some of the top-performing varieties known for their low maintenance characteristics, resistance to external stressors, and overall beautiful look in home and commercial lawns.
Typically finer-bladed zoysias are better with shade tolerance including Innovation Zoysia, CitraZoy Zoysia and Lobo Zoysia.
CitraZoy and Lobo Zoysia have very good drought tolerance.
CitraZoy, Lobo, and Empire Zoysia spread faster with a better overall wear tolerance.
The common zoysia grass types are Zoysia japonica, Zoysia matrella, and Zoysia tenuifolia, differing in cold tolerance, texture and growth rate.
Yes, varieties like CitraZoy and Innovation perform well in both sun and partial shade, maintaining density in varied light conditions. However, all grasses including CitraZoy and Innovation need at least 4–6 hours of sunlight.
Absolutely—zoysia is a warm season grass that performs best in the southern parts of the US. Some cultivars of zoysia, such as Innovation, are bred for cold tolerance to thrive up into the transition zone.
