- The three types of zoysia grass grown in the United States came from Manila, China and the Mascarene Islands. "Zoysia matrella," the variety that grows best in Florida, came from Manila. C.V. Piper, a botanist, introduced "Zoysia matrella" grass to the United States in 1911. He thought it would grow well along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts of Florida. "Zoysia japonica" came to the United States from Manchuria, China, and "Zoysia tenufolia" came to the United States from the Mascarene Islands.
- "Zoysia japonica," the most cold-tolerant of the three grown in the United State, has a coarser texture. People sometimes call it "Japanese lawn grass." "Zoysia matrella," most commonly used for lawns in Florida, tolerates less cold than "Zoysia japonica." "Zoysia tenuifolia" tolerates the least cold and has a fine texture. People most often use it as groundcover.
- Zoysia grass has many benefits in Florida. It does well on lawns, golf courses and baseball fields and adapts to a wide range of soil types. Zoysia grass tolerates drought, making it well suited to Florida's dry winters. During drought periods, half an inch of water each week will keep zoysia grass alive. All zoysia grass varieties have a high salinity tolerance, making them suited to planting along the coast.
- Zoysia grass also has a few drawbacks, but most of them reveal issues the grass faces in climates unlike Florida. For example, zoysia grass does not tolerate cold and and requires at least 200 frost-free days to survive. One drawback applicable to Florida is that zoysia establishes and regrows itself slowly, especially when planted in plugs. Because of this, people should not plant zoysia grass on highly trafficked areas like soccer or football fields.
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