Why is Palmetto Buffalo Turf So Good?
People want a lawn that they can simply mow, water much less, fertilise once or twice a year, and above all look great almost all the time. Palmetto provides a great looking lawn with minimal fuss. Click on the links below to find out more about Palmetto.
Soft Leaf | Outstanding Winter Colour | Great Shade Tolerance | Less Mowing | Drought Resistant | |
Soft Leaf
Above are microscopic photos of Palmetto (left) and common Buffalo (right) taken by Peter Kichington. Palmetto doesn't have any scratchy barbs down the leaf, which is why it is so soft. The Common Buffalo, on the other hand, does have barbs, which is why it doesn't feel soft. |
Outstanding Winter Colour
Palmetto, on average, has 75.5% better winter colour than other buffalo grass types in research (see turf research). |
Great Shade Tolerance
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Less MowingUnlike some other rapidly upward growing Buffalos, Palmetto Buffalo Grass needs less mowing. Although Palmetto Buffalo Grass grows across the ground at a fast rate, its upward leaf growth is less than most other Buffalo grass varieties. One of the main reasons people buy Buffalo is that it requires less mowing. Ask for a Buffalo grass like Palmetto, one that grows fast across the ground for better wear tolerance, but one that grows more slowly upwards for less mowing. In fact, we believe Palmetto is the only Buffalo grass on the Australian market that does this. |
Drought Resistant
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Great at Outcompeting Weeds
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Low Allergenic
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Less Thatch
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Tough and Hard Wearing
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Disease and Pest Tolerance
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Characteristics |
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Aesthetics |
Uses | Home & Commercial |
| Color | Dark Green | |
| Blade Width | 8-9mm | |
| Autmun Colour Retention | Excellent | |
| Spring Greenup | Excellent | |
Function |
Soils | Sandy, Sandy Loam, Clay |
| Growth | Rapid Horizontal growth from Stolons | |
| Wear | Fair | |
| Injury Recovery | Excellent | |
| Insects | Selective Resistance | |
| Diseases | Selective Resistance | |
| Seed head | Little seed head - low allergenic | |
Climate |
Heat | Excellent |
| Cold | Very Good | |
| Shade | Very Good | |
| Drought | Good | |
| Salt | Excellent | |
Care |
Mower | Standard Rotary |
| Height | 3.8cm to 6.4cm | |
| Weed Control | Good |





Palmetto Buffalo grass has a very soft leaf, and unlike older traditional scratchy Buffalo lawns, is not likely to irritate tender young kids.

Palmetto Buffalo grass (middle) has outstanding winter colour. Side by side comparisons on many of our growers farms over the last few years have shown that when it gets cold in winter, most other Buffalos don't stay as green as Palmetto.
Palmetto Buffalo grass performs well in full sun, yet thrives in shaded areas where other grasses fail. A Palmetto Buffalo lawn requires 2 to 4 hours of direct sunlight. No grass can survive in extreme shade, but Palmetto is better than others. Palmetto has the best winter active growth, so it is less likely to drop out in shaded areas in winter.
Palmetto has a massive deep root system, making it more drought resistant. Palmetto Buffalo Grass is the efficient water user and it stays greener for longer in dry conditions, making it the most likely lawn of all to stay green all year round. Palmetto Buffalo Turf is a winter green and summer green grass.
Once Palmetto Buffalo grass is well established, its dense growth makes it much harder for weeds to establish. As Palmetto actively grows in most areas in winter, it is less likely to allow weeds to invade. This is the time when many other forms of Buffalo grass develop weed problems. Of course, occasionally weeds can develop in a Palmetto buffalo lawn, and if in the unlikely event this occurs, please follow our
Palmetto Buffalo turf is great news for people with allergies. Seed heads on grass can cause allergies, so it is good to know that Palmetto has less seed head. In a full year trial at Richmond, Palmetto had an average of 40% less seed head than other popular Buffalo varieties (
Palmetto Buffalo Grass is known for its ability to create a dense sward without major thatch problems. Just walk on a mature Palmetto buffalo lawn and notice the difference compared to a common soft leaf Buffalo lawn. The common soft leaf Buffalo lawn will be very spongy, whilst in comparison, the Palmetto will be far less thatching. Palmetto Buffalo Grass rarely scalps when being mown, allowing people to almost always have a green lawn.
Palmetto Buffalo grass has excellent fast growth across the ground. Its runners are fast and highly branching, which provides excellent recovery from wear. Palmetto Buffalo Grass is quickly becoming known as the tough, hardwearing Buffalo lawn.
Palmetto Buffalo grass has good tolerance to gray leaf spot and other diseases and is more resistant to pests such as lawn grub. As with any natural product, problems can occasionally occur. If they do occur, please consult our 