Bermuda Grass

Cynodon dactylon

Bermuda Grass (Cynodon dactylon), a perennial grass weed of the Poaceae family.

Family: Poaceae
Growth habit: Grass
Life cycle: Perennial
Invasive status: Naturalized; can be invasive in cropland despite also being a deliberately planted forage/turf grass
Native region: Africa, now pantropical/warm-temperate worldwide.
Reproduction: Seed, stolons, and rhizomes - spreads aggressively via both above- and below-ground runners.

Environment

Habitat & Growing Conditions

Habitat: Fields, pastures, lawns, roadsides; also cultivated deliberately as a forage/turf grass.
Climate requirements: Warm-season grass, thrives in full sun and heat, dormant/browns in cold winters.
Soil types: Extremely tolerant of poor, compacted, saline, or drought-prone soils.

Impact

Affected crops: Row crops, orchards, vineyards, vegetable fields
Competition impact: Dense mat of rhizomes/stolons competes aggressively for water and nutrients and is very difficult to remove once established in cropland.
Economic impact: A valuable forage/turf grass in the right context, but one of the most persistent weeds once it invades cultivated fields.

Management

Control methods: Deep tillage to expose rhizomes to desiccation, repeated mowing/grazing suppression, and smother cropping.
Organic control: Solarization, repeated deep cultivation in dry weather to dessicate rhizome fragments, thick mulching.
Chemical control: Systemic non-selective herbicides (e.g. glyphosate) applied to actively growing foliage; selective grass herbicides in broadleaf crops.

🌿 Weed

ANX-WEED-0000253

Cynodon dactylon

Bermuda Grass (Cynodon dactylon), a perennial grass weed of the Poaceae family.

Family: Poaceae
Growth habit: Grass
Life cycle: Perennial
Invasive status: Naturalized; can be invasive in cropland despite also being a deliberately planted forage/turf grass
Native region: Africa, now pantropical/warm-temperate worldwide.
Reproduction: Seed, stolons, and rhizomes - spreads aggressively via both above- and below-ground runners.

Environment

Habitat: Fields, pastures, lawns, roadsides; also cultivated deliberately as a forage/turf grass.
Climate requirements: Warm-season grass, thrives in full sun and heat, dormant/browns in cold winters.
Soil types: Extremely tolerant of poor, compacted, saline, or drought-prone soils.

Impact

Affected crops: Row crops, orchards, vineyards, vegetable fields
Competition impact: Dense mat of rhizomes/stolons competes aggressively for water and nutrients and is very difficult to remove once established in cropland.
Economic impact: A valuable forage/turf grass in the right context, but one of the most persistent weeds once it invades cultivated fields.

Management

Control methods: Deep tillage to expose rhizomes to desiccation, repeated mowing/grazing suppression, and smother cropping.
Organic control: Solarization, repeated deep cultivation in dry weather to dessicate rhizome fragments, thick mulching.
Chemical control: Systemic non-selective herbicides (e.g. glyphosate) applied to actively growing foliage; selective grass herbicides in broadleaf crops.