Bahia Lawn

Bahiagrass Description

Bahia lawn care and description. Bahiagrass is a low to mid maintenance grass. It is a tough, coarse bladed grass. As a result, these lawns are capable of surviving in extreme conditions. Frequently holding up to extremes that would destroy most turf grasses. Additionally, Bahia has a high traffic tolerance. One key ability of a Bahia lawn is that it is able to withstand changes in climate. Subsequently, Bahiagrass thrives in areas subject to frequent weather changes. Surviving rapid changes between dry spells and heavy rains.

Most grasses have fairly shallow root systems. Uniquely, Bahia grass is  deep rooted (Up to 8ft deep!). Which helps in explaining it’s resistance to drought.

Bahia Bahiagrass
Bahiagrass Ted Bodner, hosted by the USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / James H. Miller and Karl V. Miller. 2005. Forest plants of the southeast and their wildlife uses. University of Georgia Press., Athens.

Bahia lawns do best in Florida and the Coastal areas of the Southern U.S. This grass will adapt to most soil conditions. Ordinarily growing where many kinds of grass would not be able to. A Bahia Lawn is very tolerant to wear and traffic. Consequently, it is commonly used as a roadside grass. You’ll usually see this in Florida as a result of it’s capability to withstand traffic. 

There are several varieties of Bahia grasses, Pensacola and Argentine are two of the most common. The wider leafed variety is Argentine Bahiagrass. It is, however, more sensitive to the cold. Only use Argentine Bahiagrass in the warmer climates within the zone range. Pensacola Bahiagrass is the thinner leafed variety. It is more tolerant of cooler climes and has a darker green color than the Pensacola. For this reason, it is more popular as a lawn grass.

BahiaGrass Characteristics

Traffic High Traffic Tolerance
Type Warm Weather Grass
Acidity PH 6.5 – 7.5
Maintenance Medium Maintenance
Fertilizer Commercial Lawn Fertilizer preferably with Iron
Growth Rate Medium Growing
Light Full or Almost Full Sun – Withstands Sun and Heat conditions other warm weather grasses won’t
Watering Drought Resistant
Mowing Height 3 to 4”
Propagation Seed
Salt Tolerance High
Best USDA Zones 7-11 ( Pensacola ) Southernmost 8-11 (Argentine)

USDA Information on Bahiagrass