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 (uncultivated wild type)
Hardiness Zones
Thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 7 through 10. Exhibits good heat tolerance and goes completely dormant (turns straw-brown) during freezing winter temperatures.
About This Grass
A fine- to medium-textured warm-season grass with a prostrate, creeping growth habit. It grows low to the ground and can form a tight, dense turf when managed. Leaves are typically grey-green to bright green. Seed heads consist of 2 to 6 slender, digitately arranged spikes at the top of the stems.
Blade Characteristics
Blades are medium width (2-4mm), flat, tapering to a pointed tip, and typically grey-green to light green. Vernation is folded in the bud. Ligule is a fringe of hairs, and auricles are absent.
Root System
Deep, aggressive fibrous root system combined with extensive rhizomes and stolons. Establishes quickly from seed or vegetative parts, has low thatch tendency under proper management, and excellent drought and wear recovery.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to Africa and tropical/subtropical regions worldwide; widely naturalized and cultivated in warm regions and the Transition Zone.
Growth Habit
Aggressively spreading via both stolons (above ground) and rhizomes (below ground), forming a dense, wear-resistant mat.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun (minimum 6-8 hours of direct sunlight) and has poor shade tolerance. Moderate drought tolerance (goes dormant during severe drought and greens up quickly with water); prefers well-draining soils with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0.
Mowing & Maintenance
Ideal mowing height ranges from 0.5 to 1.5 inches. Requires frequent mowing during peak growing season due to rapid horizontal and vertical growth. High maintenance when kept as a fine turf, requiring regular fertilization (3-5 lbs N per 1000 sq ft per year).
Special Characteristics
Exceptional wear and traffic tolerance making it ideal for sports fields and high-use lawns. Good salt tolerance, excellent drought recovery, and aggressive growth that helps crowd out weeds, though it can become invasive in flower beds.
Ecological Information
Introduced to many parts of the world for forage and turf. Provides moderate wildlife forage value and excellent soil stabilization/erosion control on slopes due to its dense network of stolons and rhizomes.