Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon)

Common weeds at a glance

A fine-textured and fast-growing perennial, Bermuda grass is frequently planted as a lawn in warm climates. In other sorts of lawns and in gardens, though, it can be a difficult weed. It spreads by underground stems (rhizomes), above ground runners (stolons), and seed.

If you have a Bermuda grass lawn, use deep barriers or edging to prevent it from advancing into other parts of the garden. Dig up stray clumps before they form sod, being sure to remove all the underground stems; any left behind can start new shoots. Repeated pulling and digging are generally necessary to stop this weed; mulches will slow it down, but it eventually grows through most of them.

For chemical control, you can use a selective herbicide containing fluazifop-butyl or sethoxydim, which can be sprayed over some ornamentals. Spot-treat actively growing Bermuda grass with glyphosate, taking care not to get the chemical on desirable plants.