Key Takeaway: Turf, lawn and grass get used interchangeably, but they are not quite the same thing. Turf is grass grown and harvested as ready-to-lay sections, a lawn is the established grassed area itself, and grass is the plant. Buffalo grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) is a broad-leaved, shade-tolerant species that spreads by surface stolons only and is sold as turf, runners or plugs, never seed. Couch grass (Cynodon dactylon) is fine-leaved, sun-loving and far more wear-tolerant, spreading by stolons and rhizomes, and common couch is the one type that genuinely grows from seed.
Ask three people what “turf” means and you will likely get three different answers. Some mean the specific product delivered on a pallet ready to roll out. Others just mean their lawn, whatever grass it happens to be. The terms overlap enough in everyday use that it rarely matters, until you are trying to work out whether you can buy what you want as seed, whether “buffalo lawn” is a different thing to buffalo grass, or whether a supplier’s use of the word turf even means living grass at all.
Turf, Lawn and Grass: What Is the Actual Difference?
- Turf is the product: grass grown in a paddock, harvested with a thin layer of soil and roots attached, and cut into rolls or slabs ready to lay. It is what Australians mean by what Americans call sod. Quality and price both scale with use, from the rough cover used on roadsides and median strips right up to the fine, dense turf grown for bowling greens, the same spectrum the Northern Territory Government’s own lawn agronomy notes describe when comparing lawn grades.
- Lawn is the established grassed area itself, at a home, park or sports ground, regardless of how it got there. A lawn grown from seed, laid as turf or planted from runners is still just called a lawn once it is established.
- Grass is the plant. Buffalo, couch, kikuyu and zoysia are all grasses; turf and lawn both describe what you do with the grass, not the plant itself.
One more overlap worth clearing up: turf is sometimes used loosely for synthetic grass too, as in a “turf supplier” who sells the artificial kind. This guide is about the living, growing kind. If you are after the synthetic version instead, see our guide on how to lay artificial or synthetic turf.
What Is Buffalo Grass?
Buffalo grass is the common Australian name for Stenotaphrum secundatum, a warm-season species with a broad, soft leaf blade and a distinctly rounded tip, unusual among lawn grasses according to the federal Office of the Gene Technology Regulator’s own biology assessment of the species. It grows best between 20°C and 30°C, spreads across the surface by stolons only with no rhizomes at all, and is more shade-tolerant than most other warm-season turf grasses, which is a large part of why it is so widely planted around Australian homes. Named cultivars such as Sir Walter, Palmetto and Sapphire are all buffalo grass, bred for colour and density rather than being separate species. See our guide on how to identify buffalo, kikuyu and couch grass for the visual detail on leaf shape and growth habit.
A “buffalo lawn” is simply a lawn grown from buffalo grass, not a different product. Because commercial buffalo cultivars are sterile hybrids, a buffalo lawn is always established from turf, runners or plugs rather than seed. Our guide to buffalo grass seed, and what to buy instead covers why, in detail.
What Is Couch Grass?
Couch grass is the common name for Cynodon dactylon, one of the most widely used warm-season turf grasses in the country. Where buffalo trades on shade tolerance, couch trades on toughness: a fine leaf blade under about 4mm wide, full-sun preference, and genuine wear tolerance that makes it the standard choice for sports fields and golf courses. It spreads by both stolons and rhizomes, which the Northern Territory Government’s own agronomy guidance notes makes it considerably more invasive into garden beds than buffalo grass.
Common couch is the only type in the group that genuinely grows from seed, though the same government guidance is blunt about the trade-off: it calls common couch “the least attractive turf type” precisely because the improved, denser named cultivars grown for quality lawns are propagated vegetatively instead. If you are deciding between seed and turf for a couch lawn, our buffalo grass seed guide covers real sowing rates for couch as well. For the full picture on varieties, care and the problems that actually affect couch, see our dedicated guide to couch grass in Australia. Cool-season turf such as fescue and ryegrass is a different story again, and only suits part of the country: our guide to fescue and ryegrass in Australia covers where.
Buffalo vs Couch at a Glance
| Buffalo (Stenotaphrum secundatum) | Couch (Cynodon dactylon) | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaf | Broad, soft, rounded tip | Fine, wiry, sharply pointed |
| Shade tolerance | Good, better than most warm-season grasses | Poor, needs full sun |
| Spreads by | Stolons only | Stolons and rhizomes |
| Grows from seed? | No, named cultivars are sterile | Common couch only; named cultivars are vegetative-only |
| Best suited to | Home lawns, including shaded yards | High-wear areas, sports fields, full-sun lawns |
[INTERNAL LINK OPPORTUNITY: link to the Turf & Grass Types pillar, “Australian Lawn Grass Types Explained: Buffalo, Couch, Kikuyu & Zoysia”, once published.]
Frequently Asked Questions
What is turf?
Turf is grass that has been grown, harvested with a thin layer of soil and roots attached, and cut into rolls or slabs ready to lay, the same product Americans call sod. It is different from a lawn, which is the established grassed area itself regardless of how it was grown.
What is buffalo grass?
Buffalo grass is the Australian name for Stenotaphrum secundatum, a warm-season, shade-tolerant turf species with a broad, soft leaf and a rounded tip. Sir Walter, Palmetto and Sapphire are all named cultivars of buffalo grass, not separate species.
What is buffalo lawn?
A buffalo lawn is simply a lawn grown from buffalo grass. Because named buffalo cultivars are sterile hybrids, a buffalo lawn is always established from turf, runners or plugs rather than seed.
What is couch grass?
Couch grass is the common name for Cynodon dactylon, a fine-leaved, full-sun, warm-season turf grass valued for its wear tolerance. It spreads by both stolons and rhizomes, and common couch is the one type that genuinely grows from seed.
Sources
- Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (Australian Government), The Biology of Stenotaphrum secundatum (Buffalo Grass) (checked 13 September 2026)
- Northern Territory Government Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines, Agnote A21: Suitable Lawn Grasses for the NT (checked 13 September 2026)
