| Plant of the Month: May, 1999 |
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 Wildlife: May 1999 Other Wildlife Articles |
Characteristics: Bermudagrass is an introduced (from Africa), warm season perennial grass best adapted to sandy loam or medium-textured soils. Bermudagrass is a matforming plant spreading from rhizomes and stolons.
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Bermudagrass stems are rounded and hairless except for tufts of hair on either side of the collar (point where the leaf sheath separates from the stem). Leaf blades are long and linear, flat or folded and are usually hairless. The seed head (inflorescence) is a panicle (see photo) with two to seven spicate (spike-like) unilateral branches. Bermudagrass may grow and flower throughout the growing season if weather permits.
Area of Importance: Most of Oklahoma and Texas.
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Attributes: When fertilized and properly managed, bermudagrass can produce up to three tons of quality forage per acre on good sites with sufficient rainfall. With proper management, bermudagrass can be grown in deep sand or heavy clay soil. Some varieties are tolerant to salty or alkaline soils. It usually grows best when soil pH is from 6.0 to 6.5. Bermudagrass is also more forgiving than many other forages, having the potential to recover much quicker from management mistakes.
Problems: The conversion of an area to bermudagrass, as with most introduced forages, minimizes the utility of the area as wildlife habitat. It is especially detrimental to bobwhite quail. White-tailed deer do not eat bermudagrass.
From a livestock perspective, one must realize that bermudagrass is actually a low seral plant. In other words, it is on the bottom of the totem pole on a successional scale. This is why bermudagrass stands must be well fertilized and grazed properly to maintain stands. Otherwise, Mother Nature will try to replace it with plants better adapted to the site. If given a choice, livestock will select other higher quality forages such as native grasses every time.
I.D. Tip: Look for a mat-forming grass growing in heights of up to 20 inches. Bermudagrass can have stolons (runners) reaching several feet in length.
Hundreds of plants are identified in the Noble Foundation Plant Image Gallery.