About

Shadetuff® zoysia is an Australian owned and developed medium to fine-textured Zoysia Matrella turfgrass variety.

The first thing that people notice about Shadetuff® zoysia is the vibrant green colour – which adds a touch of class to home lawns, high impact public areas, and golf facilities.

Shadetuff® performs well from full sun through to heavy dappled tree shade (80% reduction in sunlight), growing more slowly as shade increases.

It resists short periods of very heavy wear (e.g. festivals and events in public areas) better than other turfgrasses, and is also highly salt tolerant.

Shadetuff® is slower growing and requires less mowing and general maintenance than couches or buffalo grasses.

Versatile and tough – Shadetuff® withstands both cold, frosty winters and hot, tropical summers.

It is ideally suited to diverse conditions from temperate southern regions through to the northern Australian tropics.

Environment Suitability

ideal growing areas for shadetuff

Residential Backyard – Sheldon, Queensland

manly golf course nsw shaded area

Shaded Area, Manly Golf Club – Manly, New South Wales

Parklands near Breakwater & Nelly Bay Ferry Terminal – Magnetic Island, Townsville, Queensland

Key Features

 

shadetuff vibrant green colour

Colour

Eye catching vibrant green in all seasons. Maintains colour even in Australian winters.

shadetuff turf

Texture and Density

Very dense turf with medium to fine leaf texture. Thick thatch and soft leaf provides a tough surface that is durable and soft under foot.

shadetuff wear resistant

Wear Resistant

Resists short periods of very heavy wear better than other turfgrasses.

shadetuff salt drought tolerant

Salt and Drought Tolerance

Highly salt and drought tolerant means that Shadetuff® requires infrequent watering to stay in good condition.

shadetuff tree shade

Shade Tolerance

Thrives in full sun, or up to 80% tree shade. Requires a minimum of 3 hours of direct sunlight per day, which betters varieties like buffalo turf.

shadetuff less mowing

Low Maintenance

Shadetuff® needs lower fertilising requirements, chemical inputs, pesticides, and less mowing than other common turfgrass varieties like couch and kikuyu.

shadetuff tough on pests

Pest and Invasive Weed Resistant

The high fibre content in the foliage that make it wear resistant also make it tough for pests to eat.

Shadetuff® tops commercial ratings in independent trials.

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Genetic Colour

Top 5 Overall

Genetic colour is something that sets Shadetuff® apart, and these trials ranked ‘A-1’ as the top commercial zoysia turf in this category, with Empire (22nd) and Zeon (32nd) in the lower half of results.

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Spring Green-up

Top 25% Overall

Spring Green-up ratings placed Shadetuff® as the top commercially available zoysia and 8th overall, with Zeon at 17th, and Empire 19th of 35.

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Natural Shade

2nd Overall

Natural Shade tolerance was tracked in Carbondale, IL from 2014-2015 with Shadetuff® finishing 2nd overall, Zeon placing 8th, and Empire 13th.

Find A Supplier

Looking for your local Shadetuff® supplier? Have any questions? Get in touch with us today!

Become A Supplier

Shadetuff® zoysia matrella is an Australian developed, managed and owned variety, and has been developed by Dr Donald Loch of GeneGro Pty Ltd. Dr Loch maintains over 50 years of local and international experience in both turf and pasture grasses. If you are a turf grower or supplier – and interested in Shadetuff® zoysia, contact GeneGro and Elite Green.