Bahiagrass is a subtropical perennial in the grass family (Poaceae) and is native to South America. It was introduced into the U.S. in Florida as a forage grass around 1913. The genus name is derived from the Greek paspalos , meaning millet, and the species epithet is Latin for "marked." Bahiagrass has a mat-forming habit with a light green color, coarse texture, and open canopy. It is mostly used as forage for grazing animals and as erosion control in roadsides and other difficult areas. It requires minimal maintenance and is easy to establish by seed with fewer disease and insect problems than other warm-season grasses. It is not recommended as a turfgrass due to the tall seed heads, difficulty in mowing, and open canopy. The grass spreads by shallow rhizomes and roots from nodes. The grass grows to about 1 foot tall if not mowed. The inflorescence grows up to 2 feet tall and consists of a Y-shaped seed head with many small spikelets. Bahiagrass prefers a pH lower than 6.5, sandy loam soil, and full sun. It tolerates low-nutrient soils and drought. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. Often considered a weed in turfgrass. The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common southern lawn diseases.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
NC region
Coastal; Piedmont
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Creeping; Spreading
Texture
Coarse
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Sheath; Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Green linear leaves up to 12 inches long and 0.2 inches wide with a sharp pointed tip. They are rolled in the bud and may appear folded. May have a few hairs on the margin near the base. The sheath is open, sharply creased and glossy.
Flower form
Raceme
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
The inflorescence consists of 2 spike-like racemes in a v-shape with multiple tiny spikelets.