Envision this; you’re standing on your porch and looking over the glorious ocean of greenery that’s your very own front lawn. Have you ever wondered how tall can grass grow? You mow it, but it grows back every week. What if you just stopped cutting it? Would it grow forever?
It turns out that question is more variety dependent than you might have imagined. But never fear; we’ll answer that burning question and educate you on the grass while we’re here.
Turf Varieties
Several popular turf types are growing in yards across the country. Here are a few:
Bermuda Grass
Bermuda is a common grass found at golf courses, but it’s used in homes too. It does well in high-traffic yards, such as homes with families, children, and pets. But if left unchecked, this grass can grow up to 12 inches in height!
Kentucky Bluegrass
Widespread across the Northeast, this bluegrass is seen on many lawns. It’s resilient and tolerates the cooler climates well, even if it doesn’t do well in the shade. Kentucky Bluegrass will grow to heights of 18 to 24 inches.
Centipede Grass
If you’ve been wondering how tall can grass grow and feeling overwhelmed by the heights these other grasses can reach? Let’s introduce you to the centipede grass; this variety only grows up to 4 inches if you don’t mow it. The low growth rate makes this an ideal grass if you can’t spend every weekend tending to your lawn!
Fine Fescue
Fine Fescue may reach a height of 12 inches, which isn’t so bad compared to the Kentucky Bluegrass. Another positive of this grass is that it does well in infertile and dry soils. You won’t have to dedicate much time to taking care of this grass.
Tall Fescue
Just like its name implies, this variety of fescue is tall. While other grasses on this list are topping out at 12 to 24 inches? Tall Fescue comes in at 3 to 4 feet! This grass isn’t used too often in residential areas because of its ability to shoot up. But its resilience is a boon in places like athletic fields with a lot of foot traffic.
St. Augustine Grass
This grass can reach 12 inches, filling your lawn with flowers and seeds. This might not be a bad choice if you were using it as the background filler for a wildflower field, but if it’s your frown lawn, you’ll need to mow those blades to a neat 3 to 4 inches.
Zoysia Grass
A robust grass with a prickly feel to the blades, this grass may not be ideal for picnics or lounging in the sun, but it does well in heat, drought, and heavy traffic. It’s also not an out-of-control grower, staying at a respectable– and easily maintainable– 4 to 6 inches in height.
Choosing Your Grass
When it comes to choosing grass for your yard, you should take into account a few factors because how tall can grass is dependent on several things:
- Location
- Climate
- Soil type
- Soil fertility
- Foot traffic
You may not want to invest in grass that will require a lot of maintenance, either in keeping the soil habitable or cutting it if it gets too tall. But you may still need something that can withstand extreme temperatures or heavy foot traffic.
Wrapping Up
How tall can grass grow is an migrant consideration when deciding on the kind of lawn you want. There are some tools out there that can help you make your choice, such as the web soil survey by the USDA.