Bermuda Grass
Cynodon dactylon · Warm-season, Perennial, C4 grass. Often used in the transition zone.
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Chloridoideae, tribe Cynodonteae
Grass Category
Lawn/Turf Grass, Sports Turf, Golf Course Grass, Erosion Control
Variety / Cultivar
'Tifway 419' (hybrid Bermuda, fine texture, dark green color, dense turf)
Hardiness Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones 7 through 10. Excellent heat tolerance, poor cold tolerance (goes dormant and turns straw-colored below 50°F). Widely used throughout the southern US and the southern transition zone.
About This Grass
Forms an extremely dense, fine-to-medium textured turf with a vibrant green to dark green color. Highly aggressive and fast-growing under warm conditions. Mowed very low (often below 1 inch), but left unmowed can reach 6 to 12 inches with slender, digitately arranged raceme seed heads.
Blade Characteristics
Fine to medium width (2-3mm), flat blades with pointed tips. Grayish-green to dark green color. Rolled in the bud (vernation). Ligule is a fringe of hairs. Auricles are absent. Distinct collar region with hairs.
Root System
Deep, fibrous root system extending several feet deep, combined with extensive rhizomes and stolons. Rapid establishment from sod or plugs. Moderate to high thatch-forming tendency under high maintenance. Excellent drought and wear recovery.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to Africa and tropical/subtropical regions worldwide. Cultivated extensively in warm temperate to tropical regions globally.
Growth Habit
Aggressively spreading via both stolons (above ground) and rhizomes (below ground), forming a very dense, tight, mat-like sod.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun (minimum 8 hours of direct sunlight; poor shade tolerance). High water needs for optimal green appearance during active growth, but exhibits excellent drought dormancy (turns brown and goes dormant during severe drought, then greens up rapidly when watered). 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 for lawns, and lower (0.25 to 0.5 inches) for golf course putting greens/fairways. Requires frequent mowing (2 times per week during peak growth). High fertilization needs (4-6 lbs N per 1000 sq ft per year). Regular dethatching and vertical mowing needed due to aggressive thatch build-up. High maintenance level.
Special Characteristics
Exceptional traffic and wear tolerance with rapid recuperative ability via stolons and rhizomes. Good salt tolerance. Excellent erosion control. Aggressive grower that can crowd out weeds, but can also become a weed in flower beds due to invasive stolon spread.
Ecological Information
Introduced species in North America. Provides low wildlife food value compared to native prairie grasses, but offers excellent soil stabilization, dust reduction, and runoff control. Often blended or overseeded with cool-season grasses like perennial ryegrass for winter green color in the transition zone.