The Best Grass Seed to Plant in Full Sun Yards

Perennial Rye Grass

• Perennial rye grass is a cold-season grass that thrives in a lawn that receives a full amount of sun. One of the quicker growing grasses that can germinate in less than two weeks, perennial rye grass has a fine texture and shades of green that provide for an attractive lawn. It is also used to provide a green color on a lawn when the existing warm-weather grass goes dormant for the winter. The perennial rye grass then dies in the ensuing summer heat. Perennial rye grass is durable with the ability to handle lots of foot traffic. It also provides a quick groundcover, and is good for areas with slopes and hills.

Bermuda

• Bermuda is a warm-weather grass that thrives in high heat and full sunshine. It does not do well in areas with shade. Easily established from seed, Bermuda grass is drought resistant because its deep roots draw water from beneath the ground surface. It is also very durable, resulting it being used extensively on sports fields, lawns and golf courses in the southern states. In warm-weather parts of the country, it remains green throughout the year. Bermuda is an aggressive grass and will overtake other grasses in the area. Its deep roots also make it difficult to remove once it is established. The American Lawns website describes it as one of the South's favorite grasses.

Centipede

• Although centipede has the ability to tolerate some shade, it prefers and thrives in lawns that receive full sun. Centipede is a warm-weather grass often found in coastal areas in the southern states because of its ability to do well in soil that contains sand and and has plenty of drainage. It has a dark green color that provides for an attractive lawn. Another plus is that centipede does not require a lot in the way of maintenance, including applying fertilizer or frequent watering. Centipede thrives in high heat. Its thick turf makes it durable and good at choking off weeds. This grass also spreads to other parts of the lawn quickly.

Creeping Bentgrass

• Creeping bentgrass is another cool-season grass that will live in partially shaded areas, but grows much better under full sun. Although it is often found on putting greens of golf courses and grass tennis courts, it is also used as a lawn grass. It does well in cool and humid areas. Creeping bentgrass also tolerates low temperatures, although it will lose its bright green color in the fall. This grass has a fine texture and spreads by stolons. It needs to be in areas with moisture because of its shallow roots. Creeping bentgrass requires a lot of maintenance. It needs frequent mowing, watering, aerating and dethatching. For a lawn with creeping bentgrass to look its best, it also needs lots of fertilizer.

Zoysia

• Like many warm-weather grasses, zoysia tolerates at least some shade. On the hand, it thrives best when it is in a yard that receives full sun. Zoysia is more cold hardly than most warm-season grasses, but also can handle the high temperatures in the South. In cooler areas it is one of the first of the warm-weather grasses to turn green after taking on a straw brown color in its state of dormancy in the winter months. Zoysia is aggressive. It chokes off weeds and overtakes other grasses in the surrounding area. It is durable with the ability to handle plenty of foot traffic. The fact that it grows slowly means it does not require a lot of mowing.

Kentucky Bluegrass

• Kentucky bluegrass is one of the least shade tolerant of the cold-season grasses and is a good choice for a lawn that receives full sun. Its dark green color and lush texture make it a very attractive lawn grass. Often used in blends with other grasses -- most notably perennial rye grass -- it survives extreme cold or hot conditions by going dormant. Although it grows best under a full sun, it does not do as well in areas that have high temperatures or are prone to droughts. Kentucky bluegrass can be established from both seed and sod. It has a moderate tolerance for heavy traffic.