“What is the best drought tolerant grass?” is a common question that Arizona homeowners ask us here at Evergreen Turf. We break that question down for you in this post by listing six of the most popular varieties of sod and ranking them according to their performance.

Here at Evergreen Turf, we offer homeowners the choice of six varieties of sod that are drought tolerant. Each one has adapted to the dry, humid, and hot climate of Arizona to varying degrees. Here’s our ranking of each of the sod types to determine which ones are most tolerant to drought conditions.

#1 Best Drought Tolerant Grass: TifTuf

Our staff rated TifTuf as the best drought tolerant grass when compared to other varieties of bermudagrasses. It stays greener longer and uses less water without the need for continual irrigation. The unique physiological characteristics of this grass make these impressive features possible. Here are several other features you will enjoy when you purchase TifTuf drought tolerant grass:

• Excellent heat resistance, drought recovery, disease and insect resistance, and wear recovery
• Good wear tolerance, weed resistance, drought tolerance, and cold tolerance

The Tif Tuf leaf blade produces a fine texture and dark green appearance. This grass can handle continual sun exposure, and you should not allow the blades to grow longer than one and one-half inches before mowing it.

#2 Best Drought Tolerant Grass: Tifway 419 Bermuda

Homeowners plant this type of grass more often than any other type in Arizona. Our staff rates it as very good because of its fine blades and density. Tifway 419 Bermuda grass is rapid spreading, which allows it to rebound quickly from injury. You will not harm this grass with close mowing, and it has the capacity to ward off most disease. Other prominent features of Tifway 419 Bermuda grass include:

• Excellent insect resistance, drought recovery, and heat tolerance
• Good wear, cold, and drought tolerance
• Good weed resistance

#3 Best Drought Tolerant Grass: Midiron

Midiron is the most widely use type of turfgrass in Arizona because it is easy to maintain and attractive. This grass is blue-green in color and its leaf has medium coarse texture. One of the biggest benefits of midiron grass is that it transitions well from summer to winter weather conditions. You can over-seed a lawn containing Midiron turf without worrying about damaging it. The best equipment to use when mowing Midiron turf are a sharp rotary mower or a reel mower.

If you choose this type of sod for your home or business, keep in mind that it needs near-constant sun exposure due to its poor shade tolerance. You should plan to mow the lawn when your Midiron turf grows to a height of three-quarters of an inch to one and one-half inches.

#4 Best Drought Tolerant Grass: Tifgreen 328

The manufacturers of Tifgreen 328 sod originally created it for golf courses. However, anyone who wants brightly-colored green grass with a fine texture can purchase and install this type of sod. Tifgreen 328 provides a highly manicured appearance, which can help businesses display a more professional aesthetic. Although you can mow Tifgreen 328 with a sharp rotary mower without damaging it, a reel mower will provide you with the best results.

This type of sod has average damage recovery and drought tolerance. Like Midiron sod, Tifgreen 328 has poor shade tolerance and must receive direct sunlight most of the time. You should not let the blades grow to more than three-quarters of an inch before mowing.

Related: All About Hybrid Bermuda Grass

#5 Best Drought Tolerant Grass: TifGrand

Although the drought tolerance of TifGrand is lower than many other types of sod, its shade tolerance is one of the highest. You can expect excellent blade growth even if your TifGrand sod gets just four to five hours of direct sunlight each day. The color of this type of grass is dark green, and its blades have a fine texture.

Our lawn care experts recommend using a sharp rotary or reel motor when mowing your TifGrand grass. The ideal mowing height falls between one-half to one and one-half inches.

#6 Best Drought Tolerant Grass: Palmetto St. Augustine

As with TifGrand and TifGreen 328, Evergreen Turf gives Palmetto St. Augustine sod a drought tolerance rating of fair. This type of sod is one of our best performers when it comes to growth when exposed to shady conditions. Palmetto St. Augustine also thrives when exposed to bright, sunny conditions and is the most resistant to heat among the five other types.

This sod creates an attractive semi-dwarf coarse texture and produces soft leaves. Be sure not to overseed your Palmetto St. Augustine grass in the winter and cut it with a sharp rotary mower.

Other Considerations When Purchasing New Sod

The level of resistance to drought is an important consideration when installing new sod, but it is not the only thing you need to think about. For example, you need to choose a type of sod with a quick recovery time if your lawn normally sees a lot of foot traffic. The amount of shade your lawn will receive is another important consideration. Some types of sod do well in either sun or shade, while others require nearly constant exposure to the sun to grow and remain healthy.

We also recommend that you consider the make-up of your soil and whether it contains a lot of salt. Some types of sod need more fertilization, watering, and other types of regular care, so be sure to evaluate how much time you have to devote to lawn care before selecting your sod.

We Are Always Available to Help Arizona Homeowners with Their Lawncare Needs

Whether you need help choosing a type of sod, advice on lawn care, installation tips, or managing the lawn care needs of your business, Evergreen Turf is here for you. Please contact us at 480-456-1119 with additional questions. You may also use this form to contact us today.