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 (can survive in Zone 6 with cold-hardy cultivars). Excellent heat and drought tolerance, poor deep-winter cold tolerance leading to dormancy.
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Chloridoideae, tribe Cynodonteae
Variety / Cultivar
Common Bermuda (unimproved wild-type or standard seeded varieties)
About This Grass
Forms a dense, low-growing turf with a fine to medium texture. Vibrant green color during the active growing season, but goes dormant and turns straw-brown under frost conditions. Typical unmowed height reaches 4-15 inches, while maintained turf is kept low (0.5-2 inches). Produces digitate seed heads with 3-7 spike-like racemes radiating from a single point at maturity.
Blade Characteristics
Blade width is fine to medium (2-3mm). Flat to folded shape, tapering to a pointed tip. Color ranges from grayish-green to medium-bright green. Vernation is folded in the bud. Ligule is a fringe of hairs, and auricles are absent.
Root System
Deep fibrous root system going down several feet in favorable soils. Moderate to high thatch-forming tendency depending on fertility and management. Fast establishment from seed or vegetative plugs, with excellent wear recovery due to aggressive lateral growth via stolons and rhizomes.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to Africa and tropical/subtropical regions worldwide; widely naturalized in the US transition and southern zones
Growth Habit
Aggressively spreading via both stolons (above ground) and rhizomes (below ground), forming a dense, dense sod and tight turf mat
Sunlight & Water Needs
Full sun requirement (intolerant of heavy shade). High drought tolerance via entering dormancy during dry spells, but requires regular moisture for optimum green turf. Prefers well-drained soils with a pH range of 5.8 to 7.0.
Mowing & Maintenance
Mow frequently at a height of 0.75 to 1.5 inches for home lawns (lower for golf courses). High fertilization requirements during active summer months (3-5 lbs N per 1000 sq ft per year). Requires regular dethatching and core aeration due to rapid thatch buildup. High maintenance level.
Special Characteristics
Exceptional wear and traffic tolerance making it ideal for sports fields and heavy-use lawns. High drought recovery, good salt tolerance, aggressive weed-crowding ability, but very poor shade tolerance.
Ecological Information
Introduced species in North America. Provides low wildlife food value compared to native prairie grasses, but offers good erosion control and soil stabilization on slopes due to its dense, intertwined mat of roots, stolons, and rhizomes.