Plant
Centipede Grass
Eremochloa ophiuroidesAlso known as Centipedegrass, Poor Man's Grass
Centipede grass forms a dense, light green carpet across warm climates by sending out creeping above-ground runners known as stolons. Native to eastern Asia, this resilient turfgrass thrives in acidic, low-nutrient soils where other lawn species struggle. Its distinctive single-sided flower spikes resemble centipedes, giving the plant its common name and a unique visual signature when left unmown.
Warm-SeasonLow-MaintenancePerennial
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preySunlight, Water, Soil nutrients
Predators
- Mole crickets
- Ground pearls
- Lawn caterpillars
ThreatsFreezing temperatures, extreme shade, heavy foot traffic
HabitatsLawns, pastures, roadsides, sandy fields
Life spanPerennial
Classification
- FamilyPoaceae
- SpeciesEremochloa ophiuroides
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Mowing Height: Maintain turf height around 4 to 5 centimeters to protect the stolons from scalping.
- Soil Preference: Grow in acidic soil with low nitrogen requirements to avoid nutrient stress.
Co-Occurring Turf (c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman · cc-by-sa
Competitor no rights reserved, uploaded by Alan Weakley · cc0
Competitor (c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) WATANABE Hitoshi 渡辺仁, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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