About Zoysia tenuifolia (No Mow Grass)
Cultvation
Among all the species and hybrids of Zoysia used in cultivation, Zoysia tenuifolia is unique due to its slow mounding growth habit. This enables its use, with stunning architectural effect, in places like rockeries, between pavers, or even whole lawns. Unlike many other ground covers used for this purpose, it has considerable resilience to foot traffic, which it inherits from the Zoysia genus.
While attempts have been made to create a faster growing hybrid retaining the properties of Zoysia tenuifolia, none has been successful despite the PR. This slow compact habit is why it is most commonly grown by nurseries in pots and trays, and not normally available from turf farms. To get an idea of how quickly it will spread please refer to our "Spacing page".
Cultural significance
The cultural significance of this grass may be seen in its frequent use in oriental gardens, particularly Japanese and Korean. It has many common names which reflect both its versitility and cultural importance, some of which include:
- No Mow Grass
- Temple Grass
- Korean Velvet Grass
- Japanese Velvet Grass
- Petting Grass
- Mascarene Grass
Origin and distribution
It seems that the Mascarene islands, east of Madagascar, is where the species was first identified, which is reflected in one of its common names "Mascarene Grass". However, it also appears to be native to many parts of East Asia and is now planted widely throughout the world, in warm and temperate climates. Although not considered suitable for heavy frost areas, it will weather light frosts OK, and survive moderate frosts with some browning, but will green up quickly in Spring.
Planting
Zoysia tenuifolia can be treated much like any regular turfgrass when planting. However, because it is more expensive than regular turfs, it is usually more economical to space it out in clumps. If the grass has been grown in shallow containers, with a thin layer of growing media, it will be very prone to drying out, and so should be watered heavily until established. Pots, planted in the soil rather than simply placing on top of the soil will be much more resilient in this regard. Please see our "Planting" and "Spacing" pages for more information.
Care and maintenance.
Likewise, care of Zoysia tenuifolia is much like any regular turfgrass. It should be well watered while getting established, and best done in the morning, so grass does not remain wet through the night. Again thi is covered on our "Planting page".
