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 ('Sahara' or unselected common types)
Hardiness Zones
Thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 7 through 10, with high heat tolerance and susceptibility to going dormant and turning brown with the first winter frost.
About This Grass
Forms a dense, low-growing, fine to medium-textured turf with bright green to grayish-green leaves. Can reach heights of several inches if unmanaged, but typically maintained below 1.5 inches. Produces a digitate seed head with 3 to 7 slender spikes.
Blade Characteristics
Medium-fine width (2-3mm), flat, tapering to a pointed tip, grayish-green to medium green color, rolled in the bud, with a membranous, fringed ligule and small hairs instead of auricles.
Root System
Deep, aggressive fibrous root system combined with vigorous rhizomes and stolons, offering excellent drought resistance and rapid wear recovery while tending to form moderate thatch.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to Africa and tropical/subtropical regions worldwide
Growth Habit
Aggressively spreading via both stolons (above ground) and rhizomes (below ground)
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun (minimum 8 hours of direct sunlight) and high initial watering for establishment, but exhibits high drought tolerance once established. Prefers well-draining soils with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0.
Mowing & Maintenance
Ideal mowing height ranges from 0.5 to 1.5 inches. Requires frequent mowing during the active growing season, moderate to high fertilization, regular dethatching, and high overall maintenance.
Special Characteristics
Exceptional wear and traffic tolerance, excellent drought and salt tolerance, rapid recovery rate, and aggressive spreading nature that helps crowd out weeds effectively.
Ecological Information
Introduced species in many parts of the world, provides good soil stabilization and erosion control, though can exhibit invasive tendencies in agricultural settings or garden beds if not managed.