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Bermuda Grass

Cynodon dactylon

Found in lawns, gardens, roadsides, pastures, fields, disturbed areas. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

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Not native

Not native to West Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 76%

Height
About 1.4 feet
Light
Full sun
Soil moisture
Dry to moist
See native alternatives

Plant this instead

Choose your county to list local plants first.

  • Kentucky Bluegrass
    Poa pratensis

    Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Usually moist. Flowers: Gray/silver, green or purple.

    Similar growth form, height, evergreen or deciduous

  • Sallow Sedge
    Carex lurida

    Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Usually moist. Flowers: Green or inconspicuous.

    Similar growth form, height, evergreen or deciduous

  • Eastern Woodland Sedge
    Carex blanda

    Sun: Full sun, Part shade, Shade. Soil: Somewhat dry to wet. Flowers: Green.

    Similar growth form, height, evergreen or deciduous

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At a glance

Bloom
May to October
Fruiting season
Summer

Not yet recorded · Spread · Life cycle · Leaves

Recorded in 5 West Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

11CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including WV

Genus host records with ranges including WV · Cynodon

  • Agrotis ipsilonIpsilon Dart, Black Cutworm, Greasy Cutworm
  • Amblyscirtes vialisCommon Roadside-Skipper, Black Little Skipper
  • Atalopedes huronSachem
  • Automeris ioIo Moth
  • Cyllopsis gemmaGemmed Satyr
  • Hermeuptychia sosybiusCarolina Satyr
  • Hylephila phyleusFiery Skipper
  • Lon zabulonZabulon Skipper
  • Mocis latipesSmall Mocis, Striped Grass Looper
  • Mythimna unipunctaArmyworm Moth, White Speck
Show all 11
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist beesPollen specialists
1BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Cynodon

  • Dendrocygna autumnalisBlack-bellied Whistling-Duck
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Poaceae
Flower color
Yellow
Growth rate
Rapid
Growth habit
Spreads by runners
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
Summer
Fruit ends
Summer

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Conservation status

West Virginia rankSNA
Global rankGNR
WV statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Sources