Best Salt-Tolerant Grasses for Your Lawn (2024)

The golden list of best salt-tolerant grasses for your lawn starts with Bermudagrass and St. Augustinegrass. They have the highest salt tolerance among classical turfgrasses, followed by Zoysiagrass, tall fescue, and perennial ryegrass. Seashore paspalum and alkali grass are also excellent choices, but they are less popular and not as readily available in stores.

Like superheroes, not all salt-tolerant grasses are equally strong, and you need to check the soil’s salt levels before choosing a suitable one for your lawn. Read on to learn about salt tolerance levels, testing soil salinity, and how professionals choose the best grasses for salty soil lawns.

What Is Salt-Tolerant Grass?

Salt-tolerant grasses are plants with adaptive mechanisms that limit salt absorption and the damage it does inside the plant. They’re not salt-resistant (immune to high salinity). High salt contents in soil still affect their growth and, above a certain threshold, can cause them to wilt and die.

Lawn experts call this threshold salt tolerance level. They measure it in mmhos/cm (millimhos/centimeter) or dS/m (deciSiemens per meter) and use it to divide grasses into five categories:

Source: Golf Course Superintendents Association of America

Always choose a grass with a salt tolerance a bit higher than the one tested in the soil. Remember that salt tolerance is also affected by the environment. The same salt level is easier to handle by plants in nutrient-rich, well-drained soils but harder in:

• Compacted clay
• Infertile, sandy soil
• Alkaline soil
• Areas with strong winds

Plants are more vulnerable to increased salinity in the root zone during germination and early growth.

Best Salt-Tolerant Grasses for Your Lawn

Salt-tolerant grasses are ideal for landscaping in coastal lawns, terrains close to marshes, and yards dealing with high salinity, no matter the cause (brackish water irrigation, high table water, poor drainage, road rock salt damage, etc.). Here are the best salt-tolerant grasses to consider for your lawn if salt is a problem:

• Bermudagrass
• St. Augustinegrass
• Zoysiagrass
• Perennial ryegrass
• Tall fescue
• Slender creeping red fescue
• Seashore paspalum
• Alkaligrass
• Crested wheatgrass

Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon)

A fancy, top-quality turfgrass, Bermudagrass is like the Batman of salt-tolerant turfgrasses. Studies show that Bermuda handles salt stress by increasing root growth and limiting leaf development. This strategy gives it a very good tolerance to high soil salinity (it can handle up to 16 – 18 mmhos/cm).

Be careful, though. This amazingly resilient grass is high-maintenance and can turn weedy on you.

Other characteristics to consider:

• Type: Warm-season grass
• Shade tolerance: Low; it thrives in full sun
• Drought tolerance: High
• Foot traffic tolerance: High; it recovers easily by growing stolons and rhizomes
• Soil type: Tolerates most soil types with a pH of 6-6.5
• Maintenance: Needs frequent mowing due to fast growth rate; develops thatch easily; needs regular fertilization

Where to buy Bermudagrass: Available in local nurseries, garden centers like Lowe’s.

Here are some useful resources to help you install and maintain a Bermuda lawn:

• Bermudagrass Care Guide
• How to Keep Bermudagrass Out of Flower Beds
• Best Fertilizers for Bermudagrass

Pro tip: Avoid mixing Bermuda with other turf types on salty soils.

St. Augustinegrass (Stenotaphrum secundatum)

One of the few salt-tolerant grasses that thrive in partial shade, St. Augustine can handle up to 16mmhos/cm of salt in the soil and is one of the grasses you’ll see covering the lush lawns along the coast. It makes for neat, soft turf with a striking green color meant for diligent homeowners with time for proper lawn care.

Other characteristics to consider:

• Type: Warm-season grass
• Shade-tolerance: Moderate
• Drought tolerance: Moderate to high
• Foot traffic tolerance: Low
• Soil type: It prefers moderately fertile and moist (not waterlogged) soils; it doesn’t tolerate soil compaction
• Maintenance: Needs frequent mowing due to fast growth rate; develops thatch easily; needs regular fertilization

Where to buy St. Augustine grass: It is available in local nurseries, garden stores, and online shops such as Amazon and Lowe’s.

Learn more about installing and maintaining a St. Augustine lawn from our detailed guides:

• How to Care for St. Augustine Grass
• Best Fertilizers for a St. Augustine Lawn

Zoysiagrass (Zoysia spp.)

Zoysia ranks average in salt tolerance (up to 10mmhos/cm), but it’s low maintenance, pest-resistant, and has a special trait that puts it over the top: Its structure lets Zoysia remove salt from the soil, helping you treat the ground without leaching or chemical products.

As Milt Engelke, consulting agronomist, explains: “With Zoysiagrass, salts are absorbed by the roots, are moved into the plant without tissue injury, and accumulate on the leaf surface […] .” All you need to do is mow the tips and collect the salty clippings of the soil.

Other characteristics to consider:

• Type: Warm-season grass
• Shade tolerance: Moderate
• Drought tolerance: Moderate to high
• Foot traffic tolerance: High, but recovers slowly from damage
• Soil type: Well-draining soils with a pH of 6-6.5; some cultivars are more tolerant of a wide range of soils than others
• Maintenance: Low nitrogen fertilization requirements, although it’s prone to thatch build-up

Where to buy Zoysiagrass: It is available in local nurseries, garden stores, and online shops such as Amazon and Lowe’s.

Here are some useful resources to help you install and maintain a Zoysiagrass lawn:

• Growing Zoysiagrass: Everything You Need to Know

Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium perenne)

Most perennial rye cultivars have a moderate tolerance to salt and grow best in lawns where test soils show up to 10 mmhos/cm. It is one of your top choices if you live in a northern climate. It grows beautiful, smooth, dark green turf that can handle family activities and doesn’t require over-the-top maintenance.

Other characteristics to consider:

• Type of grass: Cool-season grass
• Shade tolerance: Low
• Drought tolerance: Low
• Foot traffic tolerance: High
• Soil type: Ryegrass prefers soils with good drainage and fertility and a pH of 6 to 7; it can tolerate some poor drainage and a pH of 5 to 8
• Maintenance: Moderate mowing and fertilization requirements; thatch is not significant

Where to buy perennial ryegrass: It is available in local nurseries, garden stores, and online shops such as Amazon and Lowe’s.

Here are some useful resources to help you install and maintain a perennial ryegrass lawn:

• Guide to Growing Perennial Ryegrass

Tall Fescue (Festuca arundinacea)

Its low-maintenance needs make tall fescue a popular option on home lawns and grazing pastures where soil salts are tested under 10 mmhos/cm. It handles high water tables better than other turfgrass types, and it’s a joy to look at. Growing in dense bunches of a deep, dark green color, tall fescue easily stands out in the neighborhood lawns, making owners proud.

Other characteristics to consider:

• Type of grass: Cool-season grass
• Shade tolerance: Moderate
• Drought tolerance: Moderate to high
• Foot traffic tolerance: Moderate
• Soil type: Adapted to various soil conditions; it prefers fertile clay soils with good drainage and a pH of 5.5 to 6.5
• Maintenance: Frequent mowing; does not produce significant thatch

Where to buy tall fescue: It is available in local nurseries, garden stores, and online shops like Amazon and Lowes.

Here are some useful resources to help you install and maintain a tall fescue lawn:

• Tall Fescue Lawn Maintenance Guide
• How to Overseed in the Fall With Fescue

Pro tip: On salty soils, plant tall fescue alone or in mixes with bromegrass and crested wheatgrass, but not with other grass types.

Slender Creeping Red Fescue (Festuca Rubra Litoralis)

Slender creeping red fescue has the highest salt tolerance among the fine fescues — 8 to 12 mmhos/cm. This quality is also written in its scientific name, which translates as “of the seashore.”

The fine texture and splendid tolerance for low mowing heights make this grass a good choice for golf courses. As a home lawn grass, you can also choose not to mow it and let it grow a beautiful meadow-like look.

Other characteristics to consider:

• Type of grass: Cool-season grass
• Shade tolerance: Moderate to high; the most shade-tolerant fine fescue
• Drought tolerance: Moderate to high
• Foot traffic tolerance: Low to moderate; it’s a slow grower
• Soil type: Prefers drier soils and tolerates a wide range of soil types and fertility with a pH of 6 to 6.5
• Maintenance: Low

Where to buy slender creeping red fescue: It’s more common in Europe. In the U.S., you’ll find it only in specialized shops like Twin City Seed.

Here are some useful resources for planting and growing creeping red fescue:

• Guide to Growing Fine Fescues

Pro tip: Creeping red fescue mixes very well with Faults alkali grass, as it is similar in salt tolerance, color, and texture.

Seashore Paspalum (Paspalum vagin*tum)

Easy to establish and well-tolerant of foot traffic, seashore paspalum is a low-growing salt-tolerant grass often used in golf courses. When mowed to a one-inch height, it forms a dense turf carpet you can also enjoy on your home lawn.

It has a high salt tolerance (over 20 mmhos/cm), making for a great shoreline protector and one of the top choices for high soil salinity.

Other characteristics to consider:

• Type of grass: Warm-season grass
• Shade tolerance: Low to moderate
• Drought tolerance: Moderate
• Foot traffic tolerance: High
• Soil type: Tolerates a wide range of soils, including wet, saline soils, with pH between 6 and 8
• Maintenance needs: Moderate fertilizer and frequent mowing

Where to buy seashore paspalum: Available in some local nurseries and garden stores or online from retail shops such as Amazon.

Alkaligrass (Puccinellia distans)

According to Colorado State University, alkali tops all the above options with a salt tolerance of 20 to 30 mmhos/cm, higher than Bermuda and St. Augustine. It’s a less-known perennial bunchgrass native to the prairies in the western U.S. with a fine, elegant texture similar to fine fescues.

It handles various mowing heights, so you can give it the standard cut to get good-quality turf with a classic appearance. Left to grow free, it forms dense, deep-green bunches 12 to 18 inches tall and looks great in desert and xeriscape gardens. The ‘Fults’ variety is the best for home lawns.

Other characteristics to consider:

• Type of grass: Cool-season grass
• Shade tolerance: Moderate in salty soils, poor in less salty environments
• Drought tolerance: High; it performs well in dry and wet soils
• Foot traffic tolerance: Moderate
• Soils: Thrives in salty soils; in low-salt terrain, alkali grass can be overtaken by weeds and other grasses
• Maintenance: Low; tolerates various mowing heights

Where to buy alkali grass: It is available in some nurseries and garden centers or online from specialized turf and horticulture stores like ErnstSeed, Stock Seed Farms, Arkansas Valley Seed, and BuffaloBrand Seed.

Crested Wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum)

Native to Asia, this bunch-type grass is often grown in pastures as livestock food. Meant for moderately high soil salinity (up to 10mmhos/cm), it’s also a valuable tool for reclamation and erosion control and as a precious ground cover for cacti or rock gardens and other landscapes aiming for water conservation.

When mowed short, crested wheatgrass makes for a beautiful, low-maintenance lawn.

Other characteristics to consider:

• Type of grass: Cool-season grass
• Shade tolerance: Low; needs full sun
• Drought tolerance: High
• Soils: It grows in various soils but does not tolerate excessively alkaline or heavy clay
• Maintenance: Low; provide fertilizers only before seeding

Where to buy crested wheatgrass: It is available in some nurseries and garden centers, online retail shops like Amazon, and specialized e-shops like Arkansas Valley Seed.

How to Choose the Best Salt-Tolerant Grass for Your Lawn

When choosing grass for your salty soil lawn, you need to consider four essential factors:

• Salt tolerance: Test the soil to learn its salinity level and choose a turfgrass that can withstand at least that amount. If buying a mixture of grass seeds, the least tolerant grass species should be able to handle the salinity in your soil.
• Climate: Choose salt-tolerant grasses adapted to your climate and USDA zone to improve your grass’s survival chances. Use cool-season grasses in the northern half of the U.S. and warm-season grasses in the southern half. Also, consider drought tolerance and if you can provide enough water during the growing season.
• Shade Tolerance: Lack of proper sun exposure makes the grass less resilient. Look for shade-tolerant grass species like Zoysiagrass if your lawn is shaded by buildings, trees, or shrubs.
• Maintenance needs: The last thing you want is to neglect your salt-tolerant turf, which is already fighting to grow in unfriendly conditions. If you’re busy and don’t have the time to properly mow, irrigate, and fertilize a demanding turf type, choose a low-maintenance one or find a lawn care service to do it for you.

How to Test for Salt in Your Soil

It is essential to test your soil to determine the amount of salt in it, decide on proper treatment, and choose a suitable salt-tolerant turfgrass.

You can call a professional to take samples or do it yourself. Here’s how to proceed:

• Divide the yard into areas with similar soil conditions, fertilizer, and soil amendment applications.
• Use a hollow tube soil probe (borrow one from your local Extension office) to take soil samples up to 6 inches deep.
• Collect at least 6 – 12 samples from each area, then combine them into one sample per tested area.

Put the samples in tagged bags and send them to the Extension office lab for testing. Salinity tests cost $5 to $10 per sample.

How to Manage Salty Soil

Salt spray brought by wind on coastline properties, salinity brought up in the topsoil by drought, or a high water table with lots of salt can’t be eliminated. However, you can periodically leach the lawn to reduce the salt and help plants thrive. This process requires three steps.

• First, you test the soil to identify the type and amount of salt you must work with.
• Second, you correct the soil structure to improve water absorption and drainage so you can leach the saltwater easily. This can involve gypsum treatment to dissolve soil crusting and sealing, tillage or lawn aeration, and using organic matter to amend the soil.
• The third step is leaching the salt from the soil by irrigating with clean water.

It’s a complex process better done by lawn care professionals.

Native Salt-Tolerant Plants for Your Yard

Ornamental grasses and sedges native to coastal areas and marshes in your region are excellent options for salty soils. Native plants require little to no maintenance while forming vibrant, colorful ground covers and focal points in landscapes. These plants also naturally tolerate high salinity and can replace or enhance the look of a classic lawn.

For example, in the eastern United States, plants like little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), coastal panic grass (Panicum amarum Elliot var. amarulum), and eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides) have good salt tolerance and look amazing along walkways, fences, and patios.

Other decorative native species used in landscaping sites with a salinity problem are:

• Hair-awn or pink muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris)
• Common rush (Juncus effusus)
• Gray’s sedge (Carex grayi)
• Blue oat grass (Helichtotrichon sempervirens ‘Sapphire’)
• Sand cordgrass (Spartina bakeri)
• Feather reed grass (Calamagostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’)
• Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)

FAQ About Salt Tolerant Grasses

How Do You Know You Have a Salty Soil in Your Lawn?

A white or yellow to brown crust sometimes forms on the soil surface in high spots. You also may see salt-burned leaves, stunted plants, or spotty grass strands. Grass starts to yellow and wilt. Brown, dead grass means salt has already accumulated in the plant’s tissue.

How Does Salt Damage Grass?

A high salt level in the soil prevents roots from absorbing water and nutrients, restricting growth and leading to grass wilting. Salt that enters the grass gradually reaches the leaves and damages plant cells, leading to marginal or leaf-tip burning or browning.

What is the Difference Between Saline Soil and Sodic Soil?

In saline soil, plants are damaged by soluble salts (like phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, etc.). In contrast, a high amount of exchangeable sodium in sodic soil interferes with plant growth. Saline soils make a white crust at the surface, leading to water-stressed plants with leaf burns. Sodic soils form a black powdery residue on the surface and have poor drainage, prone to puddling and runoff.

Calling in the Professionals

The bottom line is you can’t play with salty soils. You need professionals to help you plan an effective treatment strategy and install the best salt-tolerant grasses to keep your lawn green and thriving. LawnStarter can connect you with the best local lawn treatment specialists to solve the problem quickly. Book a lawn company and start fixing your lawn today!

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