How do I figure out what kind of grass I have?
Lawn care and patching bare spots require knowing your specific grass species, but visual similarities between desirable turf and invasive weeds make it difficult to tell them apart. Guessing wrong leads to using the wrong maintenance habits or buying incompatible seed for repairs.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1guessing the grass type2 people mentionedDid this help you?
- 2pulling the unknown grass out manually to inspect itDid this help you?
- 3consulting AI tools like Gemini for identificationDid this help you?
- 4Pulling them out by hand and tossing in grass seedDid this help you?
- 5Using lawn identification mobile appsDid this help you?
- 6Asking online communities for visual identification based on photosDid this help you?
- 7reading up on different types of grassDid this help you?
- 8comparing current lawn to neighbors' lawnsDid this help you?
- 9Digging it upDid this help you?
- 10Using broad spectrum herbicideDid this help you?
- 11ReplantingDid this help you?
- 12using Kentucky bluegrassDid this help you?
- 13Posting photos of the lawn on online forums to ask other users for identification.Did this help you?
- 14Suspecting the straw used for covering seeds is the source of the unwanted grassDid this help you?
- 15Consulting online guidesDid this help you?
- 16Guessing whether to seed in fall or springDid this help you?
- 17buying random bags from Home Depot over the yearDid this help you?
- 18Checking beginner guidesDid this help you?
- 19Digging out unwanted patchesDid this help you?
- 20Using glyphosate on unwanted patchesDid this help you?
- 21Examining the leaf texture, tip shape, and width to match characteristics against common turf types like Kentucky Bluegrass, Ryegrass, or Turf Type Tall Fescue.Did this help you?
- 22relying on a lawn care company to core aerate and overseedDid this help you?
- 23consulting local landscape and turf supply stores for alternative seed mix recommendationsDid this help you?
- 24Compulsively checking fresh germinationDid this help you?
- 25Asking forum members for identification insightDid this help you?
- 26Letting the grass grow until seeds begin to form to make identification easierDid this help you?
- 27Google image searchingDid this help you?
- 28Asking for identification and treatment suggestions on online forumsDid this help you?
- 29Pulling up the weed to examine the root systemDid this help you?
- 30Guessing the weed species based on visual appearanceDid this help you?
- 31Buying cheap or discounted seedDid this help you?
- 32Waiting to see if the grass looks similar over time as advised by the installerDid this help you?
- 33Spraying RoundupDid this help you?
- 34Trying to use AI for identificationDid this help you?
- 35Asking a forum community for identificationDid this help you?
- 36Trying to salvage what was there naturallyDid this help you?
- 37Using AI generated general care plans for specific regionsDid this help you?
- 38Watering, weed picking, pre-emergents, and turf builderDid this help you?
- 39Using Google Lens to suggest potential grass varietiesDid this help you?
- 40Leaving the weeds aloneDid this help you?
- 41Hand pulling weedsDid this help you?
- 42Waiting until 4 weeks after first emergence to spray herbicideDid this help you?
- 43Using the same seed consistently for a uniform lookDid this help you?
- 44Buying seed directly from a local sod farmDid this help you?
- 45Switching to a bermuda hybrid lawn and spriggingDid this help you?
- 46searching online or inspecting the plant for runnersDid this help you?
- 47Buying generic grass seedDid this help you?
- 48Waiting until next spring to manually work around new seed and kill off the unknown growth.Did this help you?
- 49manual pullingDid this help you?
- 50using selective herbicides or waiting to see how they mature compared to desired turfgrassesDid this help you?
- 51Posting photos to online forums for grass and weed identificationDid this help you?
- 52Waiting for the next growing season to apply standard warm-season lawn care treatmentsDid this help you?
- 53Pulling a sample of the plant including the root/rhizome for closer examinationDid this help you?
- 54Consulting beginner lawn care guidesDid this help you?
- 55Hand pulling unwanted vegetation and reseeding patchesDid this help you?
- 56posting photos on online forums to ask for identificationDid this help you?
- 57using an oscillating sprinkler to keep things watered temporarilyDid this help you?
- 58Spraying the patches with triclopyrDid this help you?
- 59Applying a general broadleaf weed spray like 2,4-DDid this help you?
- 60Asking online forums for identificationDid this help you?
- 61Pulling the unwanted grass out of the ground by handDid this help you?
- 62Posting pictures to online lawn care forums for community identificationDid this help you?
- 63Mowing the grass down in stages to see if it blends inDid this help you?
- 64Overseeding with a better seed mix to help desirable grass outcompete unwanted patches over timeDid this help you?
- 65Sharpening mower blades to clean up cut linesDid this help you?
- 66Removing the unwanted grass clumps and replacing them with better seed or turfDid this help you?
- 67Comparing it to images on GoogleDid this help you?
- 68Posting pictures on forums to ask for helpDid this help you?
- 69Using seasonal changes like winter browning to narrow down the optionsDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I'm looking at choosing between two products and am wondering if anyone has experience with one or both. I'm deciding between Twin City Seed Tuff Turf and Prime Fescue Defcon.”source ↗
“AI can't figure it out and neither can I, what is this?”source ↗
“Can anyone help identify what type of grass this is?”source ↗
“I've tried Google, multiple apps, and AI but I'm getting all different answers ranging from St. Augustine to KBG.”source ↗
“I just purchased the property and I'm trying to maintain the yard but I obviously need to know what type of grass I have first.”source ↗
“Can anyone help me identify what type of grass this is, what seed I should use, and when the best time to plant it would be?”source ↗
“This is my first time having a lawn, and honestly, I’m feeling a little overwhelmed. I’d really love to get it looking healthy and green again!”source ↗
“I have no idea what kind of seed to use in Calgary.”source ↗
“Should I do this before or after aeration?”source ↗
“if someone could recommend a schedule/timeline of how to get these things done?”source ↗
“Unfortunately, I now have multiple dead/thin areas after the summer.”source ↗
“My main concern is appearance. I want a thick, dark-green, beautiful lawn that looks good around a house, while still being reasonably durable through summer.”source ↗
“Hi! A patch of sod was infested with sod web worms, so our installer agreed to replace it… but I suspect he put in a different grass species than the St. Augustine sod that was previously installed.”source ↗
“Is this St. Augustine or something else?”source ↗
“I can't seem to identify what I have. Could I get some help and guidance on what to do about this?”source ↗
“I want nice, lush green uniform grass. This feels chaotic.”source ↗
“What type of grass do I have and how can I help it in it's current state.”source ↗
“With fall being around the corner I'm not sure if I should go gung-ho or slowly treat my lawn.”source ↗
“I’ve got patches of thick bladed grass which stands out, not sure if it’s just weed or if it’s where I’ve used cheap grass seed in the past and not used the same seed all over?”source ↗
“Wondering if I am mowing all weeds (crab grass / signal grass) or if this is something else.”source ↗
“Help me figure out what kind of grass I have please!”source ↗
“I can’t figure it out from the online guides.”source ↗
“Is this even grass? If it's not, next spring I may work around my new seed and then nuke whatever looks like this...”source ↗
“Never saw this before this year. it was really hot and dry in MN this summer, and now i have patches of this all over.”source ↗
“seems to crowd out ALL of the grass in those patches. im sure theyll be bare in the spring”source ↗
“i went back after this with a broad leaf spray, but im curious what it is?”source ↗
“I just can’t quickly relate it to other images I am googling up.”source ↗
“trying to identify my grass so I know how to take care of it and what to plant”source ↗
“What I’m looking for is something I can plant that will be good for my small dogs, relatively low maintenance, and won’t die if I keep it mowed an inch or less high.”source ↗
“Is this one of the grass type in blue resilience or an unwanted grass?”source ↗
“I want to know how to properly care for this grass, but I have no idea what it is.”source ↗
“Some years it looks dead, some years it's patchy and this year it looks like this.”source ↗
“I can’t tell if this is Bermuda grass or something else.”source ↗
“There are clumps of this all over the front yard that I want gone.”source ↗
“I have had trouble getting a great lawn. Front yard is southwest facing, and sloped towards the street. Is this seed good? I have virtually no shade in the front yard most of the day.”source ↗
“Not sure if this is the kbg spreading into my flower beds or if it's POA.”source ↗
“What kind of grass is this? A large portion of the lawn is dead where there wasn’t shade in the summer & I’m looking to buy seed.”source ↗
“What is this light green stuff in my lawn. Is it new KBG that needs fertilizer or Triv?”source ↗
“How do i get rid of it?”source ↗
“These spots are scattered all over my lawn and grows faster than my grass (taller and light green).”source ↗
“just as I was putting down seed this thicker blade grass started popping up in about half the area where new seed went down.”source ↗
“Doesn’t look like st Augustine. It is torpedo grass.”source ↗
“Looks like St Aug but that’s not a seed head”source ↗
“Then what is it?”source ↗
“Interested if anyone can ID as well”source ↗
“In CT and have what looks to be a mix of grass. I had the lawn aerated and over seeded a couple weeks ago and because of that the grass has gotten longer and it’s become very clear that we have multiple types of grass.”source ↗
“What are these two different grasses. Trying to figure out which is which so I can try to make it consistent over the next years”source ↗
“Following as I’m in same situation”source ↗
“Can anyone identify what type of grass I have from these pics?”source ↗
“I’ve had a bunch of this growing in my yard after seeding resilience 2, not sure what it is.”source ↗
“New home owner and I’m trying to identify the lawn grass I have.”source ↗
“Lots of different types of grass in it. I don’t know enough to identify turf types so hoping you could help.”source ↗
“Would this mean killing everything and reseeding?”source ↗
“How do I go about finding what type it is? I'd like to fill in some dead spots.”source ↗
“i had nutsedge taking over a corner of my yard last summer and it looked pretty similar to this when i ripped it out”source ↗
“That's what has me stumped. I don't have a clue if it's different grass or just an infestation of various weeds.”source ↗
“I live in South West Ohio and have been noticing several areas popping up with what looks like a grass, but not 100% sure.”source ↗
“Google lens suggests it could be bluegrass, however I'm not sure if it's the desirable variety or not.”source ↗
“You shouldn't use tenacity on new seedlings. Your time for tenacity is at time of seeding. It damages young seedlings.”source ↗
“I have been searching but I am still unsure of this plant invading my fescue.”source ↗
“Probably a turf type grass invading. You need to check for runners to confirm it.”source ↗
“I have a few patches of the lime green stuff that grows way faster then my newly seeded grass.”source ↗
“I am curious what this is? It is in a lot of the yard.”source ↗
“Is it bermuda? A grassy weed? If so, is there a good bermuda treatment I can do next year to eliminate most weeds in general while keeping remaining bermuda?”source ↗
“I have some weed issues due to the time it was on the market.”source ↗
“It’s ugly and I hate it”source ↗
“I threw the Scott’s in bare spots then did a better seed overseed later so didn’t cut for a couple weeks and we got rain.”source ↗
“I'd like to identify this grass in my lawn.”source ↗
“If you can identify it, is this generally an undesirable grass type? Should I remove it and replace with a better type?”source ↗
“is this normal st Augustine or is this an invasive weed?”source ↗
“Hey, I'm currently post fall reno and since I've been compulsively checking on my fresh germination (obviously) I've noticed a few patches of this stuff coming up. Very wide blue-green blades with a thick woody stem, probably about 1/4" which at base. Any insight?”source ↗
“This is sprouting up in a section of newly seeded lawn (TTTF). Assuming I just have to leave it alone because the seedlings cannot take herbicide and pulling makes this worse ?”source ↗
“after several weeks of watering, now I’m seeing this other long flowy grass that looks different from what I planted. You’ll probably need to zoom in on my photo to see what I mean. The blades look more like ribbons from a balloon than grass.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 9Why is green growth showing up so fast after seeding?
- 3How to mow a lawn with wildflowers without killing them
- 25Is my dead lawn patch caused by grubs or fungus?
- 16Why is it so hard to figure out why my grass is dying?
- 15How do I identify strange white patches and spiraled growths on my lawn?
- 5Why is my grass getting bright lime green patches?