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Shade: how much sun a lawn needs and what to do without it

Grass under big trees struggles. Clemson's rule of thumb is that an area getting less than four hours of sun a day is too shady for grass to grow well, and even the most shade-tolerant warm-season grass needs four to six hours.

Which warm-season grass does best in shade?

St. Augustine is the most shade-tolerant warm-season grass, though Clemson says it still needs four to six hours of sun to thrive. Zoysia comes next and grows dense in full sun and partial shade but thins in dense shade. Centipede has fair shade tolerance. Bermuda has very poor shade tolerance, and Clemson says not to grow it under tree canopies or building overhangs. Clemson names St. Augustine varieties 'Captiva', 'Jade' and 'Mercedes' and zoysia varieties 'Geo' and 'Zeon' as better in shade.

How should I care for grass in partial shade?

Clemson's advice for shaded turf is to mow half an inch to an inch higher than normal, use half to two-thirds as much nitrogen, and water deeply and only when needed. Raising tree canopies helps, ideally so the lowest branches are more than six feet off the ground. Disease is more of a problem in shade because of higher humidity, poor air movement and longer dew periods.

What if grass won't grow there?

Clemson's answer is to consider groundcovers or mulch where quality turf can't be kept. Fertilizer and weed control can't make up for missing sunlight.

Does Spring Green install groundcover or mulch?

No. We treat lawns, trees and shrubs, and we don't install groundcover, mulch or plants.

Last updated 2026-09-25. Spring Green is owned by Stockton Wells.