Centipedegrass
Eremochloa ophiuroides
Slow-growing and near-indifferent to fertiliser — its selling point is simply how little it asks for. Good where you want to mow rarely. Poor under traffic and in cold.
At a glance
| Family | Poaceae |
|---|---|
| Season type | Warm-season |
| Heat tolerance | ●●●●● |
| Cold tolerance | ●●●●● |
| Shade tolerance | ●●●●● |
| Wear tolerance | ●●●●● |
| Drought tolerance | ●●●●● |
| Mowing height | 25–50 mm |
| Propagation | Seed / Sod / Plug |
| Upkeep | Low upkeep |
| Native range | Southern China, Southeast Asia |
Growing conditions
| USDA hardiness zones | 7–10 |
|---|---|
| Sunlight | Part shade |
| Watering | Low |
| Growth rate | Slow |
| Soil pH | 4.5–6 |
| Common problems | Root-knot nematodes / Large patch / Weed invasion |
How to grow it
Climate and sun
The so-called lazy man's lawn: a warm-season grass that grows slowly and asks for almost no feeding or mowing. Unusually, it prefers poor, acidic soil, which suits volcanic soils well. It takes part shade.
Planting
Seed, sod or sprigs in early summer. It spreads slowly, so lay sod with no gaps. Soil limed up to neutral actually works against it — it is happiest around pH 5.
Watering
Little to none once established, though its shallow roots mean it wilts before other warm-season grasses in a long drought.
Mowing
Cut at 25–50 mm, once or twice a month. You chose this grass to save labour, so do not force it down low.
Feeding
A very light nitrogen feed once in spring. Too much fertiliser or lime triggers the dieback known as centipedegrass decline — with this one, less really is safer.
Problems and winter
Nematodes and large patch, plus the weeds that walk into any low-input lawn. Cold tolerance is poor and it will not overwinter in cold regions. It browns off and goes dormant in winter.