Bermuda Grass

Bermuda Grass (Cynodon dactylon) - other common names include Bahama Grass, Devil's Grass, Couch Grass, Indian Doab, Grama, Scutch Grass - is a highly desirable turf grass in southern climates zones 9 - 12 needed for those regions for its heat and drought tolerance. Bermuda grass originally came from the savannas of Africa and is the common name for all the East African species of Cynodon. It is called Bermuda grass in the United States because it was introduced from the Bermuda Island. The grass is highly aggressive, killing out most other grasses and invading other habitable growing areas. This sometimes gives the grass the name of devil grass by gardeners. The grass is fast growing and tough making it popular and useful for sporting fields, as damaged it will recover quickly.

Characteristics

It has a relatively coarse-bladed form with Medium textured varieties growing in warm climates all over the world between 45° south and 45° north latitude that get where there is more than 410 mm (16 inches) of rainfall a year. The grass germinates at temperatures above 20 C (68 F) but in cool seasons the grass become dormant turning brown. The blades are a gray-green color and are short, usually 3-10 cm (1 to 4 inches) long with rough edges. The erect stems can grow 1-40 cm (4 to 16 inches) tall. The stems are slightly flattened, and an inflorescent purple in color. It has a deep root system, and in drought situations the root system can grow 120-150 cm (47 to 59 inches) deep. Most of the root mass lies 60 cm (24 inches) under the surface. The grass creeps along the ground and root wherever a node touches the ground, forming a dense mat. Bermuda grass reproduces through seeds, through runners and rhizomes. The seed heads are on 3-7 cm (1-3 inch) spikes and are themselves about 5 cm (2 inches) long.

External Link

• Integrated Taxonomic Information System - Bermuda Grass Common