What Is Carpet Grass?

Carpetgrass is a creeping, warm-season grass that is found in fields and woods, along roads and pastures, and in home lawns. According to the Texas Cooperative Extension, carpetgrass is also known as flatgrass, Louisiana grass and "petit gazon" by the Creoles in Louisiana.

Botanical Name

The botanical name for carpet grass is Axonopus affinis or Axonopus compressus.

Origin

Carpet grass is native to the West Indies. It was introduced to the United States in the early 1800s.

Location

Carpet grass is found from East Texas to Florida and north to Virginia and Arkansas.

Identification

Carpet grass has flat runners (stolons), wide leaves and rounded tips. It resembles centipedegrass and St. Augustinegrass in leaf density but is lighter green in color. Carpet grass produces crabgrass-like, tall seed heads in the summer, which gives a weedy appearance.

Advantages

Carpet grass grows well in wet, poorly drained soil. It is low maintenance and requires little fertilization.

Disadvantages

Carpet grass will not survive in dry soil unless frequently watered. It has poor cold, drought and salt tolerance. Carpet grass is susceptible to nematodes, insects and disease.

References

• Texas Cooperative Extension; Richard L. Duble, Turfgrass Specialist: Carpetgrass
• Clemson University Extension: Carpetgrass
• University of Florida IFAS: Carpetgrass for Florida lawns