Native turfgrass isn’t always the best fit for Virginia lawns
Virginia Cooperative Extension’s turf specialist explains why many native turfgrasses struggle in Virginia’s climate.
As gardeners increasingly look for sustainable and wildlife-friendly landscaping options, interest in native plants has surged across Virginia. But when it comes to lawns, the idea of “choosing native” is more complicated than you might expect.
According to Mike Goatley, Virginia Cooperative Extension turf specialist and professor in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, native North American turfgrasses often struggle to meet the demands of Virginia’s climate and modern lawn use.
“Just as not all native wildflowers in the continental United States are adapted to Virginia’s climate, not all native turfgrasses are either,” Goatley said. “Turfgrass is also a unique plant system because it can be regularly clipped and withstand wear as people walk on it.”
Most turf-type fine fescues are native to North America, and though Goatley recommends them as the best low-input cool-season option for shaded conditions, they are not well adapted to the warmest and driest parts of the state. Fine fescues also have limited wear tolerance, something to consider if you anticipate lots of traffic on your lawns, such as pets or children.
Buffalograss is another very common North American native warm-season turfgrass used in lawns across the Plains states. Despite its heat, cold, and drought tolerance, buffalograss tends to struggle in Virginia because the state receives far more annual rainfall — more than 40 inches annually — than the climate where it evolved, which receives 10 to 15 inches annually.
“Buffalograss, while having the perceived advantage of being a native grass that can be used as a turfgrass, struggles to compete with faster-growing, better adapted turfgrass species that are favored by Virginia’s relatively high annual rainfall totals,” Goatley cautioned.
St. Augustinegrass and carpetgrass, both warm-season grasses, are also likely native species, but they can survive only in the warmest parts of Virginia.
What about ornamental grasses?
Native Virginia grasses like little bluestem or muhly grasses may be an attractive, low-maintenance addition to an herbaceous landscape bed, but they are not appropriate as turf grasses because the location of their growing points means they do not tolerate regular clipping.
What distinguishes a turfgrass from other grasses is that most of its growing points are located near the soil surface.
“Turf grass is a unique ground cover that tolerates regular clipping and wear-tolerance as people walk on top of the plants. Not all grasses are appropriate for this,” said Goatley.
If you are searching for a turfgrass that will perform well in Virginia’s difficult growing conditions, Goatley generally recommends naturalized species like tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass in the cooler climates, and bermudagrass or zoysiagrass in the warmer zones.
“We recommend Virginia gardeners choose grasses that have performed well in our annual field variety trials,” Goatley said. “Most of them are naturalized varieties, but we know they will be successful for our climate.”
To view turfgrass recommendations according to your unique growing conditions, see the VCE publication “2025-26 Virginia Turfgrass Variety Recommendations.”
For a complete picture of native turfgrasses, Goatley recommends the chapter “Origins of North American Turfgrasses" in Turfgrass: Biology, Use, and Management by James B. Beard.