Poaceae

Zoysia grass

Zoysia japonica Steud.

Family: Poaceae
Genus: Zoysia

Pets and kids

CatsNot sure
DogsNot sure
KidsNot sure

Why

Cats: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for cats, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Dogs: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for dogs, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Kids: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for young children, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with a doctor or poison control.

Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.

Zoysia grass: This photo is from Gardenology.org and is available under CC-BY-SA 3.0 license. If you use it, please include attribution to Gardenology.org, with a link if the — Photo: Raffi Kojian, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons

Is yours looking unwell? Scan your plant — free

Common names

By language (6)

Chinese: 結縷草, 结缕草, 延地青, 锥子草
English: Zoysia grass, Korean lawngrass, Japanese lawn grass, Japanese zoysiagrass, Japanese lawngrass
Japanese: シバ, ノシバ
Korean: 잔디
Portuguese: Grama-esmeralda
Spanish: Césped japonés

Synonyms

Osterdamia japonica (Steud.) Hitchc.
Zoysia japonica f. macrostachya H.D.Dong & L.J.Gong
Zoysia japonica var. pallida Honda
Zoysia koreana Mez
Zoysia matrella subsp. japonica (Steud.) Masamura & Yanagih.
Zoysia matrella subsp. japonica (Steud.) Masam. & Yanagita
Zoysia matrella var. japonica (Steud.) Sasaki
Zoysia pungens var. japonica (Steud.) Hack.

Characteristics

Growth habit: Graminoid
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Canada: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced

Plant problems

Large patch in zoysia lawn: signs and treatmentLarge patch causes expanding tan patches in zoysia during cool, wet weather. Learn to recognize it, reduce disease pressure, and plan prevention.

Photos

Photo: Raffi Kojian, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: WATANABE Hitoshi 渡辺仁, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Show_ryu, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Quincy Matthews, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Show_ryu, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Quincy Matthews, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: bastus917, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: bastus917, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: bastus917, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Elizabeth Bush, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Bugwood.org, CC BY 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Keisotyo, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons

More in Zoysia

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0); common names from SimplePlant editors (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.