What Type of Grass Grows in a Rainy Climate?

Climates Similar to the United Kingdom

• England and its close neighbors have a cool climate with the damp influence of the ocean. Cool-season grasses, like perennial ryegrass or Kentucky bluegrass are great choices for lawns. For the landscape, the icy blue fescues work well, and the mounding sedges add softness to the landscape. Reed grasses lend a tall vertical accent, while maiden grass has thin blades, giving it a softer appearance.

Climates Similar to the Pacific Northwest U.S.

• The climate called the Pacific Northwest extends into southwestern Canada. It is a temperate climate with moist marine air and temperate rain forests. For lawns, most mixes will include some combination of perennial rye, Kentucky bluegrass, and fescue. For those tightly cropped lawns, there is the fine-leaved bentgrass. Ornamental grasses are popular and include sedges, maiden grass, oat grass, and fescue. Sedges (Carex spp.) aren't technically grasses but have the appearance of grass, with thick leaves in an assortment of colors. Maiden grass is thin-bladed and soft, the fescues add a touch of blue, and blue oat grass is icy blue and spiky.

Climates Similar to the African Tropics

• Middle Africa is tropical, and therefore warm-season grasses are in order. Bermuda grass is a lawn grass popular in most warm moist areas. Signal grass isn't ideal for fine-textured lawns but is great for high-use areas. Kearsney, or carpetgrass, is somewhat coarse but ideal for moist conditions. Fountain grass or weeping lovegrass are great ornamentals, forming soft mounds with interesting feathery inflorescences. Flax is not technically a grass but is similar in habit and has a dramatic profile and red-to-bronze coloring.

Climates Similar to South American Tropics

• The South American tropics are where the famed Amazon Rain Forest is located. It is a moist, warm climate where warm-season grasses grow well. Bahia grass, native to Brazil, is used for lawns in many tropical regions of the world. St. Augustine is a coarse-bladed grass that holds up well to humidity. Carpetgrass is suitable for wet areas and forms a thick apple-green mat. Pennisetum is a decorative grass with attractive bottle-brush inflorescences, and blue oatgrass has stiff icy blue foliage. Wiregrass forms a soft mound with thin wiry blades and is native to high delta areas.