Bermuda Grass
Cynodon dactylon · Warm-season, Perennial, C4 grass
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Chloridoideae, tribe Cynodonteae
Grass Category
Lawn/Turf Grass, Sports Turf, Erosion Control
Variety / Cultivar
Common Bermuda or hybrid turf cultivars like 'Tifway'
Hardiness Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones 7-10, excellent heat tolerance, poor cold tolerance (goes dormant and turns brown below 50 degrees Fahrenheit), common in the transition and warm-season zones
About This Grass
Forms a dense, fine-to-medium textured, blue-green to dark green turf mat; aggressively spreads to form a carpet-like sward; dormant brown color in winter when temperatures drop; seed heads feature 3 to 7 digitate spikes at the top of slender stems
Blade Characteristics
Fine to medium width (2-3mm), flat, tapering to a pointed tip, grayish-green to blue-green color, folded in the bud (vernation), ligule is a fringe of hairs, auricles absent, collar is continuous with hairs
Root System
Deep fibrous root system going down several feet, highly drought resistant, rapid establishment and recovery, moderate to high thatch-forming tendency under high fertility
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to Africa and tropical/subtropical regions worldwide; widely naturalized in warm regions globally
Growth Habit
Aggressively spreading via both stolons (above ground) and rhizomes (below ground), forming a very dense, tight turf mat
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun (poor shade tolerance), high drought tolerance (goes dormant during severe drought), high water needs for optimal green appearance but survives on minimal water, prefers well-drained soils with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0
Mowing & Maintenance
Ideal mowing height between 0.5 to 1.5 inches, frequent mowing required during peak growing season, high nitrogen requirement (4-6 lbs N per 1000 sq ft per year), regular dethatching and aeration needed, high maintenance level
Special Characteristics
Exceptional traffic and wear tolerance with rapid recuperative ability from damage, good salt tolerance, excellent erosion control, poor shade tolerance, highly effective at crowding out weeds when healthy
Ecological Information
Introduced species in North America, provides good soil stabilization and erosion control, limited wildlife food value compared to native grasses, highly invasive into flower beds and gardens due to aggressive stoloniferous and rhizomatous spreading