Zoysia matrella Seeds | Manila Grass

Fine, dense mat of Manila grass with short, wiry seed heads — Manila Grass (*Zoysia matrella*): Poaceae, native to the coasts of South-East Asia.

LATIN NAME: Zoysia matrella

COMMON NAME: Manila Grass

Plant Profile

Manila grass is a fine, dense, creeping grass of the family Poaceae, native to the coasts and islands of South-East Asia and widely planted as turf in the tropics and subtropics. It grows ten to twenty centimetres high, with narrow, stiff leaves and short, wiry seed heads that sit close to the mat.

It spreads by both stolons and rhizomes, and it knits into a sward so dense that weeds struggle to get in. The leaves are harsh to the touch and have a characteristic rolling rather than folding in the bud. It is slow to establish but very long-lived, and it is one of the most salt-tolerant of the lawn grasses, which is why it is used on coastal sites and on golf courses near the sea.

Science & Biotechnology

Zoysia matrella is a diploid with forty chromosomes, and it is closely related to the other zoysias used for turf, Zoysia japonica and Zoysia pacifica. The genus is unusual among turf grasses for its C4 photosynthesis combined with a very fine leaf texture and a high tolerance of shade, salinity and wear, a combination that breeders have found hard to reproduce in other species.

The species sets very little seed in cultivation, and most turf is established from sod, plugs or sprigs rather than from seed. That is partly because the flowers are cleistogamous, setting seed without opening, and partly because the seed is difficult to harvest and slow to germinate. Recent breeding work has focused on seed-propagated hybrids, which would make the species cheaper to use on large sites.

Uses & Benefits

It is the lawn grass of the tropics and subtropics, used on golf greens, fairways, sports fields and domestic lawns, and it is particularly valued in coastal areas where salt spray kills other grasses. It is also used for erosion control on dunes and on the edges of salt water, and for stabilising the shoulders of roads.

In a garden it makes a hard-wearing, fine-textured lawn that needs less mowing than most, since it grows slowly and stays low. It is also useful as a ground cover between paving stones and on sunny banks, where its dense mat suppresses weeds. It is not a plant for deep shade or for cold winters, and it will brown off in frost.

Growing from Seed

Seed is rarely available and is slow to germinate. If it is sown, scatter it on the surface of a fine, sandy compost at 25-30 °C, keep it damp and in bright light, and expect germination over three to six weeks. Most gardens are better served by buying sod or plugs.

Plant plugs in late spring or early summer, twenty to thirty centimetres apart, in full sun and a well-drained soil, and keep them watered until they knit. Mow at two to three centimetres once the grass is established, and feed lightly in summer. The grass is slow in its first season and should not be walked on heavily until the mat has closed.

Our Take

The fine, salt-proof turf of the tropics, slow to start and then almost permanent. Plant plugs rather than seed, and be patient in the first summer.

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