Warm Grasses

Cynodon dactylon

Stenotaphrum secundatum

Paspalum notatum

Paspalum vaginatum

Eremochloa ophiuroides

Zoysia japonica

Axonopus affinis

Dichondra Species

Pennisetum clandestinum

Buchloe dactyloides

Folded Vernation, Ligule has fringe of hairs, seedhead has 3-5 racemes from one whorl, deep fiberous root system.

Rhizomes and Stolens
fine to medium leaf texture
1" - 2" mow height
low shade tolerace
High Thatching

Collar is most useful-very narrow and restricted. Leaf blade and sheath are broad. Long spreading stolons, boat shape leaf tip.

Least cold tolerant of warm season grasses
coarse texture
S. Augustinegrass Disease (SAD)
Shade tolerance is excellent

Coarse, togh leaf blades, fine leaf texture, darker green, rolled or folded vernation on same plant, short, membranous ligule, broad leaf blades.
Spreads short woody rhizomes.
Very Drought Resistant
Low Maintenance

Spreads by both Stolons and Rhizomes, LIgule is membrane with fine hairs from its upper ridge, Pointed leaf tip.
Fine Texture
drought tolerant, adapts to wet sites, HIGH salt tolerance, poor shade and cold tolerance. Oceanside

Membranous ligule with short hairs on top of ligule, constricted collar with broad blade an sheath similar to St. Augustinegrass, hairy and with long hairs along margin of the lower parts of the leaves.
Medium to coarse textured leaf
Excellent heat tolerance, Poor cold tolerant
Slow Growth rate

Poa pratensis

Best low-temperature tolerance of warm season grasses. Can survive subzero temps.
dormacy occurs after first heavy frost-straw color
Tolerant of traffic, shade, salt and drought.
Blades are still and difficult to cut
Ligule is a fringe of hairs similar to bermudagrass but with rolled vernation
seedhead is a singe-spike

Least low temperature grass after St. Augustinegrass. Similar characteristics but lighter green in color than St. Augustinegrass.
Folded vernation and its ligule is a fringe of hairs.
Broad blade and a compressed sheath
Has stolons that may be covered with dense hairs.

Broadleaf plant with kidney shaped leaves that produce a low, dense ground cover.
Primary Los Angeles.
Soft pale green leaves when mowed shorter.
injury occurs with broadleaf weed killers.
spreads by stolons and roots from nodes.

Spreads by extremely think stolons and takes over quickly.
Thatchy and and coarse texture make it undesireable. Drought tolerant
Poor cold tolerance.
Light green color, ligule is a fringe of hairs
Folded vernation
sheaths are covered with fine hairs and longer hairs on collar.
Blades have short hairs
seedhead is short and curved spike

Most drought tolerant grass in US. Requires no irrigation to survive.
ONLY Dioecious plant-both male and female plants.
Excellent heat and cold tolerance
slow vertical growth