Devil's grass is the nickname for bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon). People gave it this name because bermuda spreads so fast that you can't contain it. This label does not apply to bahia grass at all. Bahia spreads at a much slower rate and stays in its own space.
I learned why bermuda earned this name after planting it in my front yard. Within one season it crawled into every flower bed on my property. It pushed through cracks in the sidewalk and started creeping into my neighbor's bahia. Pulling it by hand was a waste of time. Any small root piece left in the dirt grew back into a full plant within days.
The bermuda grass invasive habit comes from the way it grows. Bermuda sends out stolons that creep along the surface like runners. It also pushes rhizomes through the soil below ground. This two-front attack lets bermuda move in every direction at once. A single plant can cover several feet of new ground in one growing season.
Bahia grass works nothing like this. It spreads through surface-level roots at a much slower pace. Bahia fills in gaps over time without taking over your flower beds and paths. This is why bahia gets called "poor man's grass" with love. Bermuda gets called devil's grass out of pure anger. The aggressive spreading grass label fits bermuda far better than any other turf in your yard.
Two Spreading Systems
- Surface runners: Stolons grow up to 6 inches per week during summer, crossing borders and sneaking into your garden beds.
- Underground stems: Rhizomes push through soil at 2 to 6 inches deep, getting past your edging and landscape fabric.
- Root pieces regrow: Any small bit of root left behind sprouts a new plant in just 7 to 10 days after you pull it.
Growth Rate Gap
- Bermuda speed: This aggressive spreading grass can fill a bare 100 square foot patch in a single growing season on its own.
- Bahia speed: Bahia takes 2 to 3 seasons to fill the same area using its slower root network.
- Damage healing: Bermuda heals from wear in days while bahia takes weeks, showing the raw power behind the devil nickname.
Some areas use the devil's grass name for other plants too. Cogongrass gets this label in parts of Asia. Quackgrass picks it up in northern states. But across the South, devil's grass almost always means bermuda. Knowing which species your area means helps you find the right control methods online.
If bermuda has invaded your bahia lawn, you have options. Look for grass-specific weed killers at your garden center that list bermuda as a target. Always test a small spot first to make sure your bahia stays safe. For bed edges, install root barriers 6 to 8 inches deep to block those underground stems. Edge your borders every two weeks in summer to cut runners before they take hold.
Read the full article: Bahia Grass: A Complete Growing Guide
