Bermuda Grass
Cynodon dactylon · Warm-season, Perennial, C4 grass
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Chloridoideae, tribe Cynodonteae
Grass Category
Lawn/Turf Grass and Sports Turf
Variety / Cultivar
Common Bermuda
Hardiness Zones
Thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 7 through 10. Excellent heat tolerance, moderate cold tolerance with winter dormancy, and serves as a primary turfgrass in the transition zone and southern regions.
About This Grass
A dense, fine-to-medium textured warm-season turfgrass that exhibits a bright green to grayish-green color during the active growing season. It grows rapidly during hot weather and goes into winter dormancy, turning straw-brown when temperatures drop below 50°F. Unmowed, it can reach heights of 4 to 15 inches with erect or ascending flowering stems bearing digitately arranged spike-like racemes.
Blade Characteristics
Blades are flat, grayish-green to blue-green, medium width (2-3mm), with pointed tips. Vernation is folded in the bud. Ligule is a fringe of hairs. Auricles are absent. The collar is continuous and often hairy.
Root System
Deep, aggressive fibrous root system that can reach depths of 6 feet or more in favorable soils. Forms a very dense sod, has a high tendency to form thatch under heavy fertilization, establishes rapidly from seed or vegetative plugs/sod, and provides exceptional drought tolerance and wear recovery.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to Africa and tropical regions worldwide; widely naturalized and cultivated in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate regions globally.
Growth Habit
Aggressively spreading via both rhizomes (underground) and stolons (above ground), forming a very dense, tight mat or turf.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun (minimum 8-10 hours of direct sunlight daily) and has poor shade tolerance. Moderate to high drought tolerance once established due to deep roots, going dormant during severe drought and greening up upon receiving water. Prefers well-drained soils with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0.
Mowing & Maintenance
Ideal mowing height is low, ranging from 0.75 to 1.5 inches for common types (lower for hybrid varieties). Requires frequent mowing during peak growing season due to rapid vertical and horizontal growth. High maintenance level if managed for a pristine lawn, needing regular fertilization (3-6 lbs N per 1000 sq ft annually), frequent dethatching, and aeration.
Special Characteristics
Exceptional wear and traffic tolerance, excellent recuperative ability from damage, good salt tolerance, high drought and heat tolerance, poor shade tolerance, highly effective at controlling erosion and crowding out weeds.
Ecological Information
Introduced species in North America. Provides limited wildlife value compared to native grasses, though it serves as a grazing source for some herbivores and nesting cover. Highly effective for soil stabilization and erosion control on slopes and heavy traffic areas, but can exhibit aggressive, weed-like tendencies in flower beds and gardens due to its vigorous stoloniferous and rhizomatous spread.