Bermuda grass is a warm-season turfgrass that dominates lawns across the Southern United States, including Texas. Its popularity stems from its exceptional resilience, allowing it to withstand the state’s challenging environmental conditions. While the grass is durable, its suitability for a Texas home depends on the homeowner’s commitment to maintenance. Achieving the deep green, high-performance turf many desire requires significant investment in time and resources.
Why Bermuda Grass Thrives in Texas Climates
Bermuda grass is uniquely adapted to the Texas environment. It has exceptional tolerance for high heat, thriving actively between 75°F and 95°F and maintaining vigor even above 100°F. This allows it to remain green and vibrant during scorching summer months when other grass types struggle. The plant’s deep and extensive root system, which can penetrate the soil to depths of six feet or more, provides protection.
Deep rooting allows the grass to access moisture stored far below the surface, giving it superior drought resistance. Bermuda grass exhibits a rapid growth habit, spreading aggressively via above-ground runners (stolons) and below-ground stems (rhizomes). This aggressive growth enables the turf to recover quickly from heavy foot traffic and damage, making it the default choice for athletic fields and golf courses.
The grass enters a state of dormancy during extreme drought or cold periods. When water becomes scarce, the grass turns brown to conserve energy and moisture, but the underlying plant remains alive. Once favorable conditions return, its robust root and rhizome structure allows it to quickly resume active growth.
Intensive Care Requirements and Common Drawbacks
Despite its resilience, Bermuda grass is not a low-maintenance option. Achieving dense, fine-textured turf requires a frequent mowing schedule. During the peak growing season, the grass may need to be cut every three to five days to maintain a tight appearance and prevent scalping. The ideal cutting height for hybrid varieties is low, ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 inches, often requiring a specialized reel mower.
This high growth rate is fueled by a substantial appetite for nutrients, requiring high nitrogen fertilization. To maintain a lush, deep green color, homeowners must apply between one and four fertilizer treatments during the active growing season (late spring through summer). Consistent fertilization is needed because the grass quickly utilizes available nitrogen to sustain its aggressive growth.
The aggressive spreading habit that aids recovery becomes a significant drawback, as runners and rhizomes readily invade landscape beds, sidewalks, and driveways. Controlling this invasiveness requires persistent edging and chemical control. A common concern is the grass’s winter dormancy, which begins when temperatures consistently drop below 55°F.
The turf turns straw-brown, which can last for several months in Texas, creating a less aesthetically pleasing winter lawn. Spring green-up is delayed until the soil temperature at a four-inch depth reaches a consistent 65°F, and nighttime air temperatures remain above 60°F. This means the lawn can remain brown well into late spring, especially following a colder winter.
Varied Performance Across Texas Regions
The climatic diversity of Texas means that Bermuda grass performance varies across regions. The grass is best suited for the high heat and sun exposure found in Central and South Texas, where the growing season is long and intense. In these areas, the turf’s heat and drought tolerance are fully utilized, making it a reliable choice for surviving long, dry summers.
Performance is more challenging in Deep East Texas, where high humidity and tree cover are common. Bermuda grass has poor shade tolerance, requiring full sunlight to thrive; it will thin out or die in areas with significant canopy coverage. In the Texas Panhandle and Northern Texas, the risk of winterkill is a factor due to a shorter growing season and colder temperatures.
While Bermuda is a warm-season grass, its cold tolerance is limited compared to other varieties. In these northern areas, specialized cold-hardy cultivars, such as ‘Latitude 36’ or ‘Tahoma 31,’ are necessary to minimize the risk of damage during winter freezes. Selecting a Bermuda variety must be tailored to the specific microclimate of the Texas region to ensure long-term success.