Turf
Common bermuda grass
Cynodon dactylon · Poaceae
Also called: Bermudagrass, Common bermuda, Devil's grass, Wiregrass
Common bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) is a moderate-water turf well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It thrives in full sun. Expect inconspicuous (greenish seedheads) blooms summer.
Common bermuda grass at a glance
- Water use
- Moderate (established)
- Sun
- Full sun (needs 6+ hours; thins badly in shade)
- Mature size
- Turf height 0.5-2 in mowed; spreads indefinitely
- Growth rate
- Fast (aggressive spreader by rhizomes and stolons)
- Bloom
- Inconspicuous (greenish seedheads), Summer (produces seedheads; mowed before flowering in turf)
- Cold hardiness
- Heat- and drought-tolerant; goes dormant (browns) below ~55-60 F and with frost, regreening in spring. Fully winter-hardy in Tucson.
- Soil
- Tolerates a wide range of soils including poor, alkaline, and saline desert soils; needs decent drainage.
- Native range
- Africa and Eurasia; naturalized and weedy throughout the warm regions of the U.S. including Arizona.
- Best used as
- Lawn turf, Athletic/play surfaces, Erosion control
- Wildlife
- Limited wildlife value; primarily a turf grass.
- Toxicity
- Non-toxic as turf; pollen is a significant allergen and the plant can accumulate prussic acid/nitrates if grazed under stress.
How to grow Common bermuda grass in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Warm-season grass: water deeply and infrequently, about 1-2 in/week in peak summer (roughly every 2-3 days as it greens up), tapering off in fall as it goes dormant. Established lawns can be watered to a 6-10 in depth to encourage deep roots and reduce frequency.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Feed only during active growth (April-September) with nitrogen, roughly 0.5-1 lb N per 1,000 sq ft monthly; do not fertilize dormant winter turf. Iron supplements green up the lawn without pushing excess growth.
Pruning & care
Mow regularly at 1-1.5 in (reel or rotary) during the growing season; scalp/dethatch in spring to remove dead growth and again before fall overseeding if used.
Notes
The standard low-desert warm-season lawn, recommended by UA for Phoenix/Tucson/Yuma. Goes dormant and brown in winter unless overseeded with perennial ryegrass. Aggressive and weedy — invades flower beds; difficult to eradicate. Establishes from seed, sod, or sprigs.
Sources: University of Arizona Cooperative Extension (Turfgrass / Lawn publications); AMWUA; Arizona Department of Water Resources