CitraZoy® Zoysiagrass is seeing increased production and interest in Florida, highlighted at the Star Turf Farms field day in Indiantown FL on March 17, 2026. Growers and researchers discussed the variety with industry professionals in attendance.
“CitraZoy is such a versatile grass. It checks all the boxes, whether you want that extremely high-end lawn, golf course or sports field, this grass is performing across those uses here in the state of Florida,” said George Farmer, Golf and Sports Turf Representative at Star Turf Farms.
CitraZoy® at the 2026 Star Turf Farms Field Day.
Lunch time at the Star Turf Farms Field Day.
Crowd at the Star Turf Farms Field Day
That versatility is already being tested across golf course applications. “We have a couple of golf courses that have it in multiple areas. The driving range, fairways, tee boxes, roughs,” Farmer said. “We feel strongly that somebody’s going to do a golf course in this grass in the very near future.”
Production is scaling to support that next step. Star Turf Farms currently has roughly 355 acres in CitraZoy, with another 150 acres planned, enabling larger projects.
From a research standpoint, performance continues to separate CitraZoy from other zoysiagrasses, particularly in Florida conditions.
“What has set this plant apart in the zoysiagrass world, particularly here in South Florida, has been the large patch tolerance,” said Dr. Kevin Kenworthy, University of Florida professor and turfgrass breeder behind CitraZoy. “We’ve never seen any truly measurable, impactful large patch on CitraZoy, meaning that it’s easier to maintain through the winter months.”
Developed at the University of Florida, CitraZoy was bred for drought tolerance, water use efficiency and performance under Florida conditions. That combination is showing up in production and field performance, with fewer inputs and more consistency through seasonal stress.
“You’re not battling that, needing to put out preventative fungicides. It’s made production a lot easier for the producers compared to other zoysiagrasses on the market,” Kenworthy said.
“It’s probably our biggest ‘growing’ grass right now. Half the acres in Florida are grown at Star Turf Farms,” said Mark Kann, Director of Florida Operations at Sod Solutions. “The grass has had a lot of success and done well.”
“I always tell people who are getting ready to plant grasses, especially if you’ve got the time to plant all the different varieties out there to see what works best for your property,” Kann encouraged. “Every grass has different features.”
Kann said early questions around shade tolerance are being replaced with confidence as more shaded sites successfully use CitraZoy.
The Star Turf Farms field day gave professionals a chance to see CitraZoy in production and hear from those working with it across research, production and end use. With acreage expanding and performance holding across uses, CitraZoy is moving into a larger role in Florida.
Star Turf Farms and Sod Solutions with Dr. Kevin Kenworthy at the field day on March 17, 2026.
