Centipedegrass

What is centipedegrass?

Centipedegrass (Eremochloa ophiuroides) is a slow-growing warm-season grass from Southeast Asia. UF/IFAS says it came to the US in 1916. It creeps along the ground by runners that root at the nodes and forms a low, medium-textured lawn.

Its big draw is low upkeep. UF/IFAS says established centipedegrass needs about half the nitrogen of other Florida lawn grasses, and it is mowed every 7 to 14 days in season. It is naturally pale, and that is normal. UF/IFAS warns that pushing it darker with heavy nitrogen leads to thatch, insect pressure and centipedegrass decline.

Centipedegrass is a southern grass with poor freeze tolerance; only a few cultivars, such as TifBlair, handle cold better. See our grass seed by state guide for what fits where.

How to identify centipedegrass

Pull up a few shoots and look closely where the leaf blade meets the stem. Here is what to check on centipedegrass:

• Vernation: Folded in the bud.
• Ligule: A short, purplish membrane topped with fine, cottony hairs longer than the membrane, about 0.5 mm.
• Auricles: None.
• Collar: Continuous and pinched in, with tufts of hair at the lower edge.
• Leaf blade: About 3 to 5 mm (0.1 to 0.2 in.) wide, short, flattened and sharply creased, with hairs along the edge near the base; tip boat-shaped to sharp-pointed (NC State; UF/IFAS describes it as blunt and rounded).
• Sheath: Split with overlapping edges and gray tufts of hair at the throat; flattened.
• Seedhead: A single slender spike.
• Growth habit: Stolons only; no rhizomes. Leaves alternate at the nodes.

Where centipedegrass is grown in the US

Centipedegrass is a low-care lawn grass of the Southeast. UF/IFAS says it is the most common home lawn grass in the Florida Panhandle and is well adapted to central and north Florida. NC State calls it a slow-growing grass for low-maintenance sites.

It fits acidic, infertile soils with a pH of about 4.5 to 6.5, and it does best on shallow soils because its roots are shallow. On soils above pH 6.5 to 7.0 it tends to yellow from iron chlorosis, so high-pH sites are a poor match.

People choose it because it needs little mowing and little fertilizer. NC State notes its nickname, lazy man's grass. It is not built for play areas or heavy traffic.

Centipedegrass pros and cons

Pros

• Low fertilizer and mowing needs
• Thrives in acidic, infertile soils
• Fair shade tolerance
• Survives drought by going dormant
• Can be started from seed, sod, plugs or sprigs

Cons

• Pale color; yellows from iron chlorosis on high-pH soils
• Poor salt, wear and freeze tolerance
• Prone to centipedegrass decline
• Builds thatch with too much nitrogen
• Ring nematodes and ground pearls are hard to manage
• Dead spots are hard to reseed

Grasses that look like centipedegrass

How and when to plant centipedegrass

Ways to plant: Seed, sod, plugs or sprigs.

Seeding rate: 4 oz (1/4 lb) per 1,000 sq ft, mixed with 10 to 20 lb of dry sand to spread evenly (UF/IFAS). UF's lawn-establishment guide lists 0.25 to 1 lb.

Germination: Up to 2 to 3 weeks, then 6 to 8 more weeks to establish (UF/IFAS).

When to plant: April through July. UF/IFAS discourages fall seeding.

Seeding dates change from state to state. See when to plant grass seed by state, or our Pennsylvania grass seed guide if you are in PA.

How to care for centipedegrass

Mowing: Mow every 7 to 14 days during active growth at 1.5 to 2.5 in., with a sharp rotary mower. Never take off more than one-third of the height. Leave clippings; they break down fast and do not cause thatch (UF/IFAS).

Watering: Water when blades fold or turn blue-gray or footprints stay visible. Put down 1/2 to 3/4 in. each time, which wets about the top 8 in. of soil. Do not overwater (UF/IFAS).

Fertilizing: Keep nitrogen low: 1/2 lb (quick-release) to 1 lb (slow-release) N per 1,000 sq ft per feeding, 1 to 3 times a year. In north Florida, do not feed before April 15, and make the last feeding by mid-September. Spring yellowing is often iron deficiency, but iron does not replace nitrogen (UF/IFAS).

Nitrogen per year: Florida: 0.4 to 2 lb (north) and 0.4 to 3 lb (central and south) N per 1,000 sq ft per year, about half what other Florida lawn grasses need (UF/IFAS).

Overseeding: Reseeding dead spots is hard and usually needs hand watering (UF/IFAS). Clemson advises against planting it mixed with carpetgrass unless you can live with both, because no selective herbicide currently removes carpetgrass from centipedegrass. Any herbicide work is for a licensed applicator using products labeled for that use; the label is the law.

Thatch: Its runners are high in lignin, break down slowly and build heavy thatch, especially with high nitrogen (UF/IFAS).

Common centipedegrass problems

If a pesticide is needed, use only products labeled for that use; the label is the law. If you hire someone to treat a lawn, make sure they hold your state’s pesticide applicator license; see our pesticide applicator license guide. To put a name to a lawn weed, use our weed identification guide.

Questions we get about centipedegrass

Similar lawn grasses

BahiagrassPaspalum notatumBuffalograssBouteloua dactyloidesBermudagrassCynodon dactylon