The Best Grass Seed for East Tennessee

Climate

• Eastern Tennessee has two types of climate. Some areas are humid, and others are cool-to-warm. Both climates favor the growth of fescue grasses, rather than the Kentucky bluegrass or zoysia species planted elsewhere in the state.

Tall Fescue

• Tall fescue is a medium to coarse-textured grass that grows well in a wide range of soils. It prefers full sun or light shade and has a good resistance to drought and high temperatures.

Red Fescue

• Creeping red fescue is a fine-textured grass with thin, bristle-like leaf blades that forms a very dense lawn. It does well in the shade, survives extreme cold and has a fair tolerance for hot summers.

Chewings Fescue

• Chewings fescue is similar to red fescue in appearance, but lacks a creeping growth habit. It does well in acidic soils and shady areas and, like red fescue, survives extreme cold and tolerates hot summers.

Hard Fescue

• Hard fescue grass forms a dense lawn that doesn't need much maintenance, but tends to be low quality. The leaves are bluish-green and tough, and it doesn't tolerate high temperatures very well. It's sometimes used for erosion control along the sides of roads.