Carpet Grass
Axonopus fissifolius · Warm-season, Perennial, C4 grass
AI-generated identification · may be incorrect
Grass Category
Lawn/Turf and Pasture Grass, Erosion Control
Hardiness Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones 8-10, sensitive to heavy frost and extreme cold, enters winter dormancy turning straw-colored
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae
Variety / Cultivar
Common Carpetgrass
About This Grass
A low-growing, coarse-textured warm-season turfgrass with bright apple-green to medium-green leaves, growing 2 to 6 inches tall when maintained, and producing slender two-to-three spiked seed heads resembling a crab claw at maturity
Blade Characteristics
Blades are wide (4-8mm), flat, blunt-tipped, light yellow-green to bright green in color, folded in the bud with a membranous ligule, no auricles, and a distinctively broad, hairy collar region
Root System
Moderately shallow fibrous root system with extensive stolons rooting at the nodes, forms a spongy sod, moderate establishment speed, low-to-moderate drought tolerance
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to the West Indies and Central/South America, naturalized in the southeastern United States
Growth Habit
Stoloniferous, spreading vigorously by above-ground stolons with flattened internodes, forming a dense, coarse mat
Sunlight & Water Needs
Thrives in full sun to partial shade, highly tolerant of moist to wet acidic soils where other grasses fail, moderate to high water needs, poor drought tolerance
Mowing & Maintenance
Mow at 1.5 to 2.5 inches high every 7-10 days, low fertility requirement (1-2 lbs N per 1000 sq ft annually), low overall maintenance level
Special Characteristics
Excellent shade and moisture tolerance, highly competitive on low-fertility, acidic, sandy or wet soils, low wear tolerance compared to Bermuda or Zoysia, poor cold tolerance
Ecological Information
Introduced species in the US, useful for erosion control on wet, acidic slopes and waterways, provides low-quality forage for livestock, can behave like a weed in high-maintenance lawns