In the past, we’ve told you the advantages of adding Zoysia sod to your yard. As a sod for your yard, Zoysia provides a soft-to-the-touch feel and attractive lush green coloring for your yard. But it is just as strong as it is soft, with a thick root structure and great drought tolerance, as well as natural chinch bug and chemical resistance. It also has a low growth habit, meaning it can form dense mats and mounds over low features. This is a nice contrast to other popular residential sods in Florida, like St. Augustine grass, which requires more fertilization and is more susceptible to insect and fungus damage.

The first type of hybrid Zoysia grass for residential use in the United States was released from the US Department of Agriculture Research Station in Maryland in 1951. Called Meyer Zoysia, the researchers working on this hybrid grass claimed that it had good turf quality and would also be a good seed producer. The grass originated in southeast and east Asia, north to China and Japan, and Australasia. It is a genus of creeping grass that was named for Austrian botanist Karl von Zois.

One of the major reasons it was brought to the United States and developed as a turfgrass was because it can tolerate a wide variety of temperatures, sunlight, and water exposure. Despite surviving most climates, it is actually most widely used for lawns in temperate climates, making it a perfect sod choice for the Central Florida area. It is also used for commercial purposes in golf courses, for the creation of fairways and teeing area. It is good for golf courses and other commercial properties as its deep roots help to prevent erosion on slopes, at it is good at repelling weeds throughout the year.