Centipede Grass
Eremochloa ophiuroides · Warm-season, Perennial, C4 grass
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae
Grass Category
Lawn/Turf Grass
Variety / Cultivar
Common Centipede / TifBlair
Hardiness Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones 7-10, sensitive to heavy frost and extreme cold, highly popular in the southeastern US coastal and transition zones
About This Grass
Forms a light to medium green turf with a somewhat coarse texture, exhibiting a yellowish-green hue compared to other warm-season grasses. It goes into winter dormancy and turns straw-colored or brown under frost conditions, as seen in the imagery.
Blade Characteristics
Medium-coarse texture with flat to slightly folded blades, blunt or rounded tips, folded vernation in the bud, and a very short membranous or fringed ligule with hairs
Root System
Moderately shallow fibrous root system with creeping stolons; establishes relatively slowly from seed or sod and has a low tolerance to heavy thatch buildup
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to southern China and Southeast Asia; widely naturalized and cultivated in the Southeastern United States
Growth Habit
Stoloniferous, spreading via above-ground runners with short internodes, forming a moderately dense, coarse, low-growing turf
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun to partial shade (more shade tolerant than Bermuda, less than St. Augustine); low water needs once established with moderate drought tolerance; prefers acidic, sandy soils
Mowing & Maintenance
Low maintenance, slow-growing lawn requiring infrequent mowing at a height of 1.0 to 2.0 inches, and very low nitrogen fertilizer requirements
Special Characteristics
Known as the 'lazy man's grass' due to low maintenance and slow growth rate, but exhibits low traffic/wear tolerance and poor tolerance to compaction, high pH, and heavy weed pressure
Ecological Information
Introduced species widely used for low-input utility turf, residential lawns, and erosion control on poor acidic soils with minimal ecological invasive tendencies