Lobo® Zoysiagrass, developed through NC State’s Turfgrass Breeding Program, is quickly making a name for itself as a standout variety in the market. With a combination of exceptional traits sought after in zoysiagrass for home lawns, it’s already catching the attention of sod producers across the U.S. and internationally.
Lobo’s breeder Dr. Susana Milla-Lewis recently shared her excitement about the cultivar originally released in November 2021. Over the past few years, she has compiled data on Lobo as part of bringing it to market and after reviewing the results, she has been overwhelmingly impressed by its performance across numerous tests and trials, including being the top grass in the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program’s “Low Maintenance” trial. Lobo's low maintenance makes for happy end-users.
Lobo Zoysiagrass being installed at a home lawn.
“We know that it looks good. But when you look at everything, like the whole portfolio, it has really good shade tolerance, really good salinity tolerance and it retains color really well in fall. It greens up nicely in spring,” she said. "It’s like all these traits, seeing them together and seeing how good this grass really is, how unique it is in its niche."
That uniqueness is being recognized by growers. A-G Sod Farm in California initially planted just one acre to test it but quickly expanded to five after seeing its potential. "They actually love it so much, they're already thinking about how they're gonna insert this into the market and the potential that it can have," Milla-Lewis shared. In Argentina, Nuevos Verdes has started production on two acres—one in Buenos Aires and another in Mendoza—as demand for Lobo continues to grow.
Lobo® Zoysiagrass being expanded at A-G Sod Farm in California in Aug. 2024.
Lobo® Zoysiagrass Grow Map.
