Bermuda Grass
Cynodon dactylon · Warm-season, Perennial, C4 grass
AI-generated identification · may be incorrect
Grass Category
Lawn/Turf Grass, Sports Turf, Erosion Control
Hardiness Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones 7-10, excellent heat tolerance, poor shade tolerance, goes dormant and turns tan/brown during freezing temperatures below 25°F
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Chloridoideae, tribe Cynodonteae
Variety / Cultivar
Common Bermuda (uncultivated wild type)
About This Grass
Forms a dense, low-growing turf with grayish-green to blue-green leaves; can grow up to 1-1.5 feet if unmowed, but maintained at 0.5-1.5 inches; enters winter dormancy and turns brown under frost conditions
Blade Characteristics
Medium-fine blades (2-3 mm wide), flat with pointed tips, folded in the bud (vernation), grayish-green color, hairy ligule replacing the membrane, absent auricles, and a continuous collar region
Root System
Deep, aggressive fibrous root system extending several feet into the soil, moderate-to-high thatch tendency depending on management, fast establishment from seed or sod, excellent drought tolerance and rapid wear recovery
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to Africa and tropical/subtropical regions worldwide; widely naturalized in tropical, subtropical, and warm-temperate regions
Growth Habit
Aggressively spreading via both stolons (above ground) and rhizomes (below ground), forming a dense mat or turf
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun (minimum 6-8 hours of direct sunlight), moderate to high drought tolerance once established, goes dormant under severe drought, prefers well-drained soils with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0
Mowing & Maintenance
Ideal mowing height ranges from 0.5 to 1.5 inches, frequent mowing needed during peak growth, high fertilizer requirement (3-5 lbs N per 1000 sq ft per year), regular dethatching and aeration required, medium-high maintenance level
Special Characteristics
Exceptional wear and traffic tolerance, rapid recovery from damage, good salt tolerance, excellent for sports fields and high-traffic lawns, highly invasive in flower beds due to aggressive stolons/rhizomes
Ecological Information
Introduced species in North America, provides good soil stabilization and erosion control on slopes, limited wildlife food value compared to native grasses, frequently used in monoculture lawns and turf mixes