Besides the major warm-season grasses, there are several alternatives, such as carpetgrasses (Axonopus affinis and Axonopus compressus), centipedegrass (Eremochloa ophiuroides, buffalograss (Buchloe dactyloides), hurricanegrass also called Seymourgrass (Bothriochloa pertusa), and seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum).

Seashore paspalum has been used since the mid 1900s as a salt tolerant turf, but systematic improvement of the species as a turf has been relatively recent.  For more information on the University of Georgia program by Dr. Ronnie Duncan and others, please visit their web site, http://www.griffin.uga.edu/grf/dept/cropsci/turf/paspalum/homepage.shtml  There are also commercial services involved in the planting of Seashore paspalum and other halophytic plants, e.g.,
Environmental Turf Solutions http://www.etsturf.com and Saltscape Solutions http://www.paspalumgrass.com

Besides the potential benefits of seashore paspalum as a turfgrass, there are concerns about its negative ecological effects, for example, the comments by Hamish Kendal, on the web at:
http://floridaturf.com/grasses/paspalum-vaginatum.html

First, what is a grass?  A grass is a plant with specialized reduced flower parts.   There are 10,000 grass species in the world.  The most important ones feed us, wheat and rice, for example.  Grasses are used for heavy construction, for example, bamboo, a grass.  Grasses are used for ornamental purposes, as well as utility.  For a systematic view of the grasses, visit the links on grasses in the Open Directory Project.

There are two groups of grasses, cool-season and warm-season.  Cool-season grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, and perennial ryegrass are important in temperate areas but have problems growing in warm climates.  The cool-season grasses have a special method of carbon dioxide fixation (carbohydrate synthesis) and function poorly at high temperature.

Four warm-season grasses, bahiagrass, bermudagrass, St. Augustinegrass, and zoysiagrass are grown widely.  Usually one will provide adequate turf for almost any situation in warm and subtropical areas, given adequate water and not too much shade.  The altenatives (centipedegrass, buffalograss and others) do well in particular niches.   For example, centipedegrass performs well in Florida's Panhandle, probably because of the unique heavier soil type there.  Buffalograss performs well in the mountains and deserts of western North America, even as far as Canada.

Grama São Carlos - Tropical carpetgrass, Axonopus compressus.

Seashore Paspalum - University of Georgia, Griffin.

Paspalum vaginatum: An alternative to Bermudagrass - Student paper by George Ralish, Assistant Superintendent at Gulfstream Country Club in Palm Beach County, Florida.

Poaceae - Links in the Open Director Project.

Contact us