Our range of shade-tolerant grass types continues to grow with the addition of 2 new varieties. This blog explains why shade tolerance is so important and some of the strengths of our premium turf for shade.
The Growing Need for Shade-Tolerant Grass Varieties in Australia
With shrinking house blocks and larger homes, modern yards are often smaller than in previous decades. Instead of a ¼ acre block with wire fences and direct sun, we now have 30m² of grass, 6ft fences, 3-storey houses or neighbouring tall buildings, increasing shady areas. The picture in the centre shows the wide open spaces of the older suburb of Oxley beside the newer, far tighter green spaces of Springfield Lakes.
These changes have resulted in dappled sunlight and partial shade on our Australian lawns. This means that sun-loving grasses like common couch grasses that require 6-7 hours of full sun per day are no longer fit for modern, shaded backyards in many of South East Queensland’s new residential areas.
The news isn’t all bad, as the smaller yard size makes it easier to afford premium warm-season grasses suitable for both shaded spots and high-wear areas. This gives our customers the best lawn grass for shaded areas while reducing maintenance demands, meaning you spend less time on yard work and more time enjoying your healthy lawn.
Choosing the Best Turf for Shade for Your Needs
Let’s go through your options for the best grass for shade, Brisbane-wide, based on your site and lifestyle requirements.
Sir Walter DNA Certified Buffalo Grass: Thrives With Just 3 Hours of Direct Sunlight
Any discussion of the best lawn grass for shade must include the king of shade tolerant lawns: Sir Walter DNA Certified buffalo grass. Since 1997, Sir Walter DNA Certified has been the trusted name among broad leaf, shade-tolerant, low-maintenance grass varieties. Its broad leaves offer greater surface area to absorb sunlight and convert it into energy. Soft leaf buffalo grass is child and pet-friendly, exceeding other buffalo grasses on the market, cementing it as Australia’s best lawn grass for low-light areas in comparison to other buffalo varieties.
As a result of the success of Sir Walter Buffalo, breed imitators have been selling this grass without the premium qualities. Be sure you’re getting the "real deal" by looking for the Sir Walter DNA Certified badge. This branding is your guarantee of purity, backed by Lawn Solutions Australia’s rigorous DNA testing to protect you from inferior imitations. This gives customers confidence they’re buying the genuine article, offering excellent shade tolerance among a host of other benefits.
The water-wise option: TifTuf Bermuda
Hand selected from almost 30,000 varieties of turf grass, with almost 25 years of research from the world’s leading scientists, the next of our turf for shade options is TifTuf Bermuda. TifTuf was a product of a breeding program designed to produce a highly drought tolerant variety with additional attributes not seen in most couch grasses. The research from these trials has proven TifTuf uses on average 38% less water than similar turf varieties, giving it a level of drought tolerance rarely seen in commercial turf varieties.
Further testing during the process of bringing TifTuf to market also found it performed better than expected in shade trials. Despite its fine leaf similar to our couch grasses, they found TifTuf needs 50% less sunlight than similar grasses. It is important to note that this relates to similar grasses such as couch, while it does perform better than these grasses in shade it is NOT as truly shade-tolerant grass like Sir Walter DNA Certified and Sir Grange zoysia.
Research found that TifTuf has a higher concentration of gibberellic acid (the chemical plants use for photosynthesis) compared to similar varieties. The more gibberellic acid a plant has the less light it needs to grow. For this reason TifTuf performs better than similar grasses in partial sun.
Ultimately, you can enjoy the benefits of a TifTuf lawn in a partly shady yard. With lower sun exposure, growth rates and self-repair may be slowed down, but on the plus side, less frequent mowing will be required.
Low maintenance luxury option: Sir Grange zoysia
The last option in our range of shade-tolerant varieties is by far our most luxurious, Sir Grange Zoysia. Featuring a fine soft leaf texture, with a beautiful deep green colour, Sir Grange zoysia is a true “barefoot lawn grass”. Zoysias are a slow-growing grass family prized for their high-end appearance with minimal mowing and fertiliser needs. Sir Grange can thrive in limited sunlight – as little as 3 hours of direct sunlight, making it ideal for shaded lawns. Because it thrives on as little as 3 hours of sun, Sir Grange Zoysia is the ultimate shade grass for modern, smaller house blocks.
Zoysia grasses have become quite the trend in recent times, with some people declaring them the future of Australian turf grass. It offers superior performance in shade, drought and salt tolerance, along with fantastic pest and weed resistance. Sir Grange has already proven its performance on the world stage thanks to its exclusive use on the 2016 Rio Olympics golf course, among many other world renowned courses.
To get more advice on high shade-tolerance grass options for your existing lawn or to order a new Sir Walter DNA Certified, TifTuf or Sir Grange lawn call our team on (07) 3114 8281.
You can also pop in and order at our sales office on 286 Brookland Rd, Allenview QLD 4285. The office opens Monday to Friday, 7.30 am to 4 pm and Saturday, 7 am to 12 pm. We also proudly supply quality turf across South East Queensland, including Brisbane, Ipswich, the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Toowoomba, and into northern New South Wales.
For more great turf tips, keep an eye on our website and all our social media channels.
Shade Tolerant Turf FAQs
How much shade is too much shade for a lawn?
Like all plants, even shade-tolerant grasses require some sunlight to survive. In partial sun (3–5 hours), grasses like Sir Walter or Sir Grange perform well. In heavy shade (less than 3 hours of direct sun), not all grasses thrive, even shade-tolerant ones. Get in touch with our friendly team to assess the best lawn grass for shaded areas to suit your site.
Do you have maintenance tips for lawns that get less sun?
Lawns in shady spots with low-light conditions and cooler climates are generally less able to recuperate quickly from damage. A lawn’s ability to handle heavy foot traffic and wear and tear or tolerate dog urine is lessened in shadier conditions, given that its pace of self-repair will be slower. Therefore, the best lawn care approach is to limit stress factors while maintaining standard watering, fertilising and weed control methods. Pruning overhanging tree branches to allow more sunlight to reach the lawn can also make a significant difference.
