Japanese Lawngrass Zoysia

Zoysiagrass is a warm-season turf grass in the grass family (Poaceae) and is native to Japan and Korea. There are two species that are used for lawns, Z. japonica and Z. matrella, but other species are also grown. Zoysiagrasses are also used for golf courses and erosion control. They are considered high-maintenance grasses. The genus name, Zoysia, references Karl von Zoys, an 18th-century Austrian botanist.

Zoysia japonica is from Asia and is commonly known as Japanese or Korean lawngrass. It has medium-coarse leaves that are light green in color. Seeds are available for this one, but sod or plugs are usually used to establish a lawn.

Zoysia matrella is from the Philippines and is commonly known as Manilagrass. It has a finer texture, is slower growing and less cold-hardy than the other Zoysiagrasses. 

Zoysia tenuifolia is a name that appears in the turfgrass literature and in commerce, but it is now treated as a synonym of Zoysia matrella var. matrella. It forms small clumps with a puffy appearance. Due to its slow growth and appearance, it is not used as turf grass but more as an ornamental. 

Zoysia matrella var. pacifica (syn. Zoysia pacifica) has the common name of Mascarenegrass or Korean velvetgrass. Due to slow growth and appearance, it is more often used as an ornamental than as a turfgrass.

Zoysiagrasses form a very dense turf that tolerates wear and spreads by stolons and rhizomes. It grows in full sun to light shade and is very drought tolerant once established. It requires less frequent mowing due to its slow rate of growth. Once established, it requires little irrigation to survive in North Carolina. Because it is a warm-season grass, Zoysia grasses go dormant in the winter and assume a light brown appearance. It should be mowed to a height of 1 to 1 1/2 inches.

Most of the Zoysiagrasses need to be established by plugs or sod. There are a few cultivars can be started by seed, but availability is limited. Those that can be seeded include 'Compadre' and ‘Zenith'; however, they can be difficult to establish.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. Fungal diseases and white grubs can occur.

The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common southern lawn diseases.