Zoysiagrass (Zoysia spp.) is a warm-season, C4 turfgrass that is increasingly being used on golf courses, sports fields, as well as residential and commercial lawns throughout the transition zone and southern regions of the United States. The high levels of drought, salt, and shade tolerance of zoysiagrass has contributed to increased popularity. One factor limiting the utilization of zoysiagrass is its slow rate of establishment. The objectives of this study were to evaluate two experimental and four commerciall zoysiagrass cultivars for shade tolerance and rate of spread. Plugs of all six varieties were planted in the field and plug diameter and visual percentage of turfgrass cover were measured to determine growth rate. In the greenhouse, plugs were planted in one gallon containers and grown under three light intensities using shaded canopies. The field study indicated that ‘Meyer' and ‘Zorro' exhibit the greatest rate of spread, while DALZ 0501 and ‘Shadow Turf' show intermediate growth rates. In the greenhouse, there were highly significant differences in genotype, light intensity, and a genotype X light intensity interaction. In full sunlight, all varieties grew at a constant rate. In 50% shade, all varieties increased in growth at a slower rate than in full sunlight. Under 90% shade, the genotypes declined differentially throughout the duration of the study. ‘Shadow Turf' and ‘Diamond' exhibited the greatest level of shade tolerance, while ‘Meyer and ‘Zorro' exhibited the poorest level of shade tolerance. These results indicate it is possible to select zoysiagrass varieties with increased shade tolerance for use in shaded areas of the home landscape.