Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon), often referred to as Bermuda grass, devil’s grass, or couch grass, is a highly adaptable, warm-season perennial grass celebrated for its resilience, rapid growth, and versatility in lawns, sports fields, and agricultural settings. As a member of the Poaceae family, this grass is a favorite among landscapers, homeowners, and turf managers for its drought tolerance, durability, and lush green appearance.
Over the years, breeders have developed a wide range of Bermudagrass cultivars to suit different climates, soil types, maintenance needs, and aesthetic preferences.
Types of Bermudagrass
Common Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon)
Common Bermudagrass is a versatile, budget-friendly option that thrives in warm climates and is widely used for both lawns and pastures. It spreads aggressively through stolons and rhizomes, making it a fast-establishing ground cover.
While its texture is coarser than many hybrid varieties, its durability and ease of growth make it a dependable choice for areas with full sun and minimal maintenance. It’s highly drought-tolerant but can become invasive if not managed.
Tifway 419
Tifway 419 is a hybrid variety known for its fine texture, dark green color, and exceptional wear resistance. Developed specifically for sports fields and golf courses, this cultivar thrives under high-traffic conditions and recovers quickly from damage.
Its dense growth habit not only enhances aesthetic appeal but also helps crowd out weeds. However, it requires full sun and regular maintenance such as mowing and fertilization to perform at its best.
TifTuf
TifTuf Bermudagrass sets a new standard for drought tolerance in warm-season grasses. It was developed through extensive testing to maintain its color and health with significantly less water than traditional varieties.
TifTuf also boasts excellent shade tolerance for a Bermudagrass, as well as strong resistance to traffic and disease. This makes it ideal for both residential and commercial landscapes aiming for beauty and sustainability.
Celebration
Celebration Bermudagrass is widely recognized for its stunning blue-green color and soft texture. Originally bred in Australia, it is one of the few Bermuda cultivars that offer a higher degree of shade tolerance, making it an excellent option for yards or parks with intermittent sunlight.
It also has excellent wear tolerance and recuperative ability, which is why it’s popular for sports fields and recreational spaces that experience frequent use.
Princess 77
Princess 77 is one of the few high-quality Bermudagrasses available from seed. It features a fine-bladed texture and a deep green color, resembling the performance of a hybrid turf at a more accessible price point.
Ideal for golf course fairways and home lawns alike, it offers excellent density, disease resistance, and an attractive appearance when properly maintained. However, it does require full sun and frequent mowing to maintain its manicured look.
Latitude 36
Latitude 36 is a cold-hardy hybrid Bermudagrass developed for transition zones where winters are harsher. It exhibits a fine texture and a vibrant green hue that holds up well throughout the growing season.
Latitude 36 is often used on athletic fields, thanks to its superior wear tolerance and ability to recover quickly from injury. It also demonstrates strong resistance to many common turfgrass diseases.
NorthBridge
NorthBridge is another hybrid designed for cold climates and transitional zones. Known for its bright green color and fine leaf texture, it establishes rapidly and forms a dense canopy that resists weeds and compaction.
This variety has proven to be extremely resilient under the stress of sports activities and temperature swings, making it a strong choice for stadiums and high-use turf applications.
TifGrand
TifGrand stands out from many other Bermuda cultivars due to its ability to thrive in partial shade. While most Bermudagrasses require full sun, TifGrand can maintain color and density with as little as 4–5 hours of sunlight.
It also has a rich dark green appearance and a fine texture, making it suitable for high-end residential lawns and areas under tree cover. It is moderately resistant to pests and diseases, offering both beauty and performance.
TifSport
Developed with the needs of athletic fields in mind, TifSport is a robust hybrid with excellent wear tolerance, disease resistance, and a dense growth habit. It has a fine blade and a deep green color that looks lush throughout the growing season.
TifSport performs best in full sun and under a regular maintenance schedule, including mowing, fertilizing, and irrigation to sustain its performance under stress.
TifEagle
TifEagle is a super-dwarf hybrid Bermudagrass specially bred for golf course putting greens. Its extremely fine leaf texture and ability to be mowed at heights below 0.125 inches provide a smooth, fast surface for professional-level play.
It has a tighter growth habit than many other varieties, which enhances putting quality but also requires very detailed turf management, including verticutting and topdressing.
TifDwarf
Similar to TifEagle, TifDwarf is a specialized variety for golf greens. It features an ultra-dense mat of fine-bladed turf that tolerates low mowing heights and heavy traffic.
While its performance is outstanding on professional greens, it demands high maintenance and is not suitable for general home use. It must be managed with precision to avoid thatch build-up and disease.
TifGreen
TifGreen was one of the first hybrid Bermudagrasses developed for golf greens and has since found use in lawns and sports fields. It has a fine texture and a bright green color, and although it’s somewhat prone to thatch accumulation, it provides a dense, lush surface.
TifGreen is best suited for well-managed landscapes with consistent care and monitoring.
Tifway II
An improvement on the original Tifway 419, Tifway II features enhanced disease resistance and a finer, more uniform texture. Its quick recovery from traffic damage and its tolerance for close mowing make it an excellent option for sports fields, especially in southern climates. Tifway II performs optimally under full sun and with consistent maintenance.
Tifton 10
Tifton 10 is a coarser hybrid grass designed for tough conditions. It grows aggressively and is used in areas needing fast coverage, such as erosion-prone sites or reclaimed land. Tifton 10 is valued more for its practical uses than for its appearance, and it’s particularly popular in pastures or areas where utility is more important than aesthetic.
Quickstand
Quickstand Bermudagrass lives up to its name by establishing very rapidly, which makes it excellent for erosion control and situations requiring immediate turf coverage. It has a medium texture and tolerates drought, but it is not as fine or as dark green as some hybrid options. Nonetheless, its rapid growth and resilience make it a go-to for utility turf areas.
Sahara
Sahara is a seeded Bermudagrass known for its affordability and good drought tolerance. It is commonly used in large-scale projects such as highway medians, parks, and commercial properties. While it does not offer the refined look of elite hybrids, it provides an adequate, low-maintenance solution for areas needing basic green cover.
Yukon
Yukon is a seeded Bermudagrass developed specifically for cooler climates. It exhibits excellent cold hardiness while retaining the fine texture and dark green color of a high-quality turfgrass. Yukon is often used in northern transition zones where other Bermudagrasses would suffer winter injury. It’s suitable for both lawns and sports fields.
Riviera
Riviera Bermudagrass is another cold-tolerant seeded variety that thrives in transitional climates. It produces a dense, dark green turf with fine blades and shows excellent wear resistance. Riviera is ideal for athletic fields, parks, and even home lawns in regions with moderate winters.
Mohawk
Mohawk is a fast-growing, seeded Bermudagrass known for its good cold tolerance and aggressive growth. It is widely used in turf renovation projects and offers a medium texture. Mohawk is well-suited to budget-conscious homeowners and municipalities seeking a reliable, general-purpose grass.
Mirage 2
Mirage 2 offers one of the most attractive appearances among seeded Bermudagrasses. It boasts a fine texture, rich color, and excellent drought resistance. Designed for high-traffic areas like sports fields, it provides a balance of aesthetic and functional turf qualities, making it suitable for high-end residential and commercial landscapes.
Cheyenne II
Cheyenne II is primarily used for forage production rather than turf applications. It is a seeded variety known for its high yields, drought tolerance, and vigorous growth in pasture environments. While its texture is too coarse for lawn use, it remains valuable for agricultural and grazing purposes.