Zoysia and Bermuda are two popular grass types, often considered for personal lawns. Here, we will examine aspects like their maintenance, appearance, cost, and climate fit. Each grass has its strengths but the comparison is fairly general.
| Zoysia | Bermuda grass | |
| Color | As per cultivar selection | As per cultivar selection |
| Blade width | 2-7 mm, as per variant | Up to 1.7 mm |
| Texture | Smooth | Soft |
| Shade tolerance | High | Medium |
| Mowing height | 0.5-2 inches | 0.5-1.5 inches |
| Growth Habits | Stolons and Rhizomes | Stolons and Rhizomes |
| Wear Tolerance | High | High |
| Injury Recovery | High | High |
| Drought tolerance | High | Moderate |
| Drought Resistance | Moderate | High |
| Soil needs | Clay, sandy and loamy | From heavy clay to deep sands |
| Salt Tolerance | Moderate | High |
| Fertility | Low Nitrogen inputs | High Nitrogen inputs |
| Soil pH | 5.8-7 | 6.5-8 |
01. Color
Zoysia and Bermuda grass variants come in a diverse range of colors, including lighter and darker shades of blue-green, and the choice is yours.
Zoysia and Bermuda grass variants are bred for their colors and you will find plenty of shades. For example, Celebration Bermudagrass has a deep blue-green hue while Latitude 36 Bermuda grass is dark green. However, Palisades Zoysia is light green and EMPIRE Zoysia has a dark green hue.
Dark green-Empire, Zeon, El Toro, Innovation, Geo cultivars of Zoysia. Meyer Zoysia: Emerald Green and Palisades Zoysia: Light Green.
- Celebration Bermuda grass: Deep Blue-Green
- Tifway 419 Bermuda grass: Blue-Green
- Discovery Bermuda grass: Dark Blue-Green
- Latitude 36 Bermuda grass: Dark Green
- NorthBridge Bermuda grass: Bright Green
02. Blade Width and Texture
Bermuda and Zoysia grasses differ in blade texture and width. Zoysia has a blade width range of 2 to 7 mm, and some variants thrive in shade. Bermuda grass has finer blades with a maximum width of 1.7 mm, giving it a golf course-like appearance.
Many zoysias feature broader blades, but varieties like Geo and Innovation Zoysia have finer blades, which enhances shade tolerance. Zoysia blades range from 5–7 mm, but there are fine-bladed zoysia breeds, too.
Bermuda grass, used extensively in golf courses and sports fields, is now adopted in parks and residential lawns for its soft, fine texture. Bermuda blades can be up to 1.7 mm wide.
03. Shade Tolerance
St. Augustine is considered the most shade-tolerant type, followed by Innovation and Geo, finer-bladed zoysia varieties. Bermuda grass is not shade-tolerant, and Celebration fares better in this regard.
St. Augustine fares the best in shade tolerance, while zoysia follows closely. Innovation and Geo are two finer-bladed types that deserve a mention. Empire is a wide-bladed zoysia that is fairly shade-tolerant.
Bermuda grass is not shade tolerant but Celebration fares better than other variants.
04. Mowing Heights and Growth Habits
Bermuda grass is typically mowed at 0.5-1.5 inches, making it suitable for sports fields due to its aggressive growth. For Zoysia, the mowing height is 0.5-2 inches, making it ideal for golf courses for due to its lower pest control and water requirements. Both grasses can cope with weeds using their rhizomes and stolons. You will find some cold climate cultivars, too.
Mowing heights vary between Bermuda and zoysia cultivars depending on the season. For Bermuda grass, the mowing height is set at 0.5–1.5 inches. For wider-bladed zoysias, it is 1–2 inches and finer-bladed variants are maintained at 0.5–1.5 inches. The mowing frequency and growth rate impact their height.
Both zoysia and Bermuda spread through their stolons and rhizomes, suppressing weed growth. Bermuda grows rapidly, often overtaking other grasses and surfaces. This suits sports fields better for drought resistance and resilience.
Zoysia, widely used in golf course for its texture, needs less water and fewer pest issues. Some zoysias and Bermuda variants like Latitude 36 have good cold tolerance. Bermuda needs relatively more care for its invasive growth.
Overall, zoysia wins the game for growth habits and mowing rate.
05. Wear Tolerance
Bermuda grasses are chosen for golf courses and sports fields for their rapid injury recovery and wear tolerance, beating zoysia variants.
Bermuda grasses rank high in wear tolerance, and they heal faster than zoysia grass. Zoysias also score well in both wear tolerance and recovery, with the empire variant performing particularly well. Bermuda grass excels in handling heavy foot traffic handling and recovers faster.
Drought Tolerance and Resistance
Bermuda grass fares better than zoysia in both drought tolerance and resistance and suits hot, dry climates. An example of this is the Celebration Bermuda grass, which originates from Australia.
Drought tolerance is the ability to survive drought conditions, while drought resistance refers to maintaining its appearance during dry seasons. Both Bermuda and zoysia grass require one inch of water per week but zoysia performs better in drought tolerance and resistance.
06. Soil Preferences and Salt Tolerance
Bermuda and Zoysia grasses adapt to different soil types. Because of its superior salt tolerance, Bermuda thrives well in salty or coastal areas. Zoysia has moderate salt tolerance. It grows better in loamy or sandy soils and does not do well in poorly draining clay soils.
07. Fertility and pH
Zoysia and Bermuda grasses need essential nutrients for growth like phosphorous and nitrogen. They also need specific pH ranges to thrive well. Zoysia grasses prefer a pH range of 5.8 – 7.0, while, Bermuda grasses grow well in soil with a pH range of 6.5 – 8.0.
St. Augustine and Bermuda grasses are adaptable to different soil types. They thrive best in soils with a pH range of 6.5 – 8.0. Various fertilizer programs suit these grass variants. The fertilizers meet the nutritional requirements of the grasses at different stages and provide year-round care.
Apart from sunlight and water, Zoysia grasses need more nutrition to thrive in the form of various macro and micronutrients like potassium, phosphorous, nitrogen, manganese, iron and sulphur. These grasses thrive best in soils with a pH range of 5.8 – 7.0.
08. Pests
Pest infestations are common for both Zoysia and Bermuda grasses. Billbugs, mites and chinch bugs are the most common pests that affect these grasses. However, certain varieties of Zoysia grass, like Empire Zoysia and Innovation Zoysia, are resistant to certain pests. Insecticides like Bifen XTS offer preventive treatment for the pests of both Zoysia and Bermuda grasses.
Both Zoysia and Bermuda grasses are vulnerable to pest attacks and infestations. Billbugs and chinch bugs affect Zoysia grasses majorly. The Empire Zoysia variant is chinch bug-resistant. This is one of the main reasons why many people switch from St. Augustine to the Empire Zoysia variant. Also, Innovation Zoysia is resistant to bluegrass billbugs.
Bermuda grasses often contend with pests like billbugs, mites, sod webworms, grubworms and fall armyworms. Preventive treatment measures with systemic insecticides prove effective for both the grass variants. Read the labels of the insecticides before using them.
09. Diseases
Both Bermuda grasses and Zoysia grasses suffer from various diseases. Bermuda grasses are affected by spring dead spots, dollar spots and others. On the other hand, Zoysia grasses are affected by rust, leaf spot and brown patch diseases. Heritage G is a common treatment for these ailments. However, it is a must to follow the specific application guidelines.
Both Bermuda and Zoysia are prone to fungus and diseases, like most sod types. Bermuda grass is more susceptible to spring dead spots, dollar spots, brown patches, leaf spots, and pythium. Zoysia grass, on the other hand, usually suffers from rust, brown patches, and leaf spots. Heritage G is a recommended treatment for these diseases.
Which Grass is Better – Zoysia or Bermuda?
Both Bermuda grass and Zoysia grass have their pros and cons, depending on the specific lawn needs. Overall, Bermuda grass has a score of 7/10, while Zoysia has a score of 8/10, including the ties. Hence, Zoysia edges out Bermuda as the overall winner.
