Weed Alert: Bahiagrass

Bahiagrass (paspalum notatum) is an aggressive, mat-forming, warm-season perennial with shallow, often exposed reddish-purple rhizomes.

Bahiagrass is a paspalum, which is a group of weeds that are generally very drought tolerant. Because of this, in hot and dry summers, bahiagrass tends to thrive. Needless to say, bahiagrass problems are more of a problem in this summer than in the past several summers.

Bahiagrass leaves are rolled in the bud shoot and are without auricles. The leaf blades are flat or folded, 4 to 8 millimeters wide, with the margins sparsely hairy toward the base or collar. Bahiagrass has a broad collar region and a 1-millimeter-long membranous ligule. The inflorescence consists of two to three unilateral branches or racemes and often appears V-shaped.

Bahiagrass is adapted to tropical and warm sub-tropical climates, and a wide range of soil conditions but grows best on sandy, slightly acidic infertile soils – like the coastal plain region of North Carolina. Bahiagrass forms a tough, wear-resistant open turf and is suited for roadside use and utility turf. Reproduction occurs by seed and rhizome formation.

Because of its adaptability in eastern North Carolina, bahiagrass has become a weed problem for many turfgrass managers. Fortunately, there are several herbicides available that will provide suppression or control of this weed. Read individual labels to determine turfgrass tolerance to different products.