Carpetgrass
Axonopus compressus · Warm-season, Perennial, C4 grass
AI-generated identification · may be incorrect
Grass Category
Lawn/Turf and Pasture Grass
Hardiness Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones 8-11. Excellent heat tolerance, poor cold tolerance (goes dormant and turns brown with frost).
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae, tribe Paspaleae
Variety / Cultivar
Common Carpetgrass
About This Grass
Forms a dense, light to medium green, coarse-textured turf. Grows low to the ground with flattened stems. Seed heads are typically two-to-three spike-like racemes forming a crabgrass-like or finger-like arrangement.
Blade Characteristics
Coarse blades, typically 6-10 mm wide, flat with blunt or rounded tips, folded in the bud, glabrous with prominent veins, distinct membranous short ligule, and absent auricles.
Root System
Shallow to moderately deep fibrous root system with extensive above-ground stolons that root at the nodes, producing a moderate thatch layer and establishing relatively quickly on moist soils.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to tropical Central and South America, widely naturalized in the southeastern United States and other humid subtropical regions.
Growth Habit
Stoloniferous and rhizomatous, spreading vigorously by flat, rooting stolons to form a dense, coarse turf mat.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Thrives in full sun to partial shade. Prefers consistently moist to wet soils and tolerates poorly drained, acidic soils quite well, but has poor drought tolerance.
Mowing & Maintenance
Mow at 1.5 to 2.5 inches. Low maintenance requirements, needing minimal fertilization (1-2 lbs N per 1000 sq ft annually) and occasional mowing.
Special Characteristics
Moderate wear tolerance, good tolerance for acidic, low-fertility, and wet soils where other grasses fail. Poor drought tolerance and susceptible to billbugs and fungal diseases in humid conditions.
Ecological Information
Introduced species in North America, provides good erosion control on wet slopes and banks, used as low-input pasture for livestock, and can act as an aggressive weed in managed lawns.