• View All Weeds

Kikuyugrass is a prostrate perennial grass that grows best under cool to warm temperatures (60° to 90°F) and moist conditions. It grows rapidly during periods of high light intensity and warm temperatures but also maintains steady growth at cooler temperatures. When growing rapidly, kikuyugrass is capable of exceeding 1 inch per day. Flowering begins in late spring and is stimulated by mowing. Seed production continues throughout summer and fall. Kikuyugrass spreads by producing a network of thick, fleshy stems. These stems often form a thick mat or thatch above the soil surface or a network of underground stems from 1 to 4 inches deep in the soil. If the stems are chopped into small pieces, each section is capable of producing new shoots and roots from its nodes. Thus, kikuyugrass can easily be moved from one area to another on mowing or renovation equipment. Leaves of kikuyugrass are light green in color and range in length from 1 to 10 inches. Pointed leaf tips and flat leaf blades are approximately 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide.