Seashore Paspalum: A Salt-Tolerant Grass for Southern Lawns

Characteristics and Adaptation

Native to South Africa and South America, seashore paspalum tolerates saline water and drought. It's being tested on golf courses, highways, and wastewater sites.

Appearance and Maintenance

• Unmowed: coarse like St. Augustine.
• Mowed twice weekly: fine texture like hybrid Bermuda.
• Deeper green than Bermuda, but browns in winter.
• Requires less fertilizer than Bermuda.

Cold Limitation

Cannot survive regular ground freezing. Suitable south of a line from Raleigh, NC to Chattanooga, TN. For a sunny front lawn in that zone, it's an excellent choice.