Torpedo grass and Bermuda grass are two popular species that are often pitted against each other in the turf world. While both are warm-season grasses with similar features, they also have some distinct differences that make one a better choice over the other depending on your specific needs.

In this post, we will dive into the characteristics of each grass type and compare them to help you decide which one is the ultimate champion for your lawn or landscape.

Torpedo Grass Vs Bermuda Grass (Differences)

There are key differences between Torpedo grass and Bermuda. While both types of grass can be used for landscaping purposes, some differences between them make one more suitable than the other depending on what your needs are.

Torpedo Grass	Bermuda Grass
Perennial plant	Annual Plant
It dies off in winter and needs to be replaced yearly.	Needs to be replaced yearly.
Looks more beautiful in late summer but dies off in winter	Doesn’t die off in winter.
It is very hardy and can withstand cold temperatures	Needs to be replaced yearly as it can’t withstand cold weather.
Need constant cutting or mowing	Doesn’t need constant cutting because of its weak root system.

How to Identify Torpedo Grass?

Torpedo grass is a turf blade plant used for landscaping and more. It grows in clumps and can be found in green, wide and long blades with a light green color. This grass grows together around the stem, so it is difficult to determine which one is right or left.

Each of the plants also has dense leaves and grows well in full sun or partial shade and doesn’t need much water. It is also drought resistant and will stay green through the summer months when other types of grass lose their color. Other features include:

• Torpedo grass grows well and flourishes in moist soil.
• It has a very short and dense root system, unlike other plants.
• Torpedo has small leaves and grows in colonies of short and dense stems.
• The plant comes in a light green color
• It has stiff blades which grow in clumps of 3 to 5 near the roots.
• The leaves are soft and very thin when you feel or touch them.
• The long leaves are up to 3 feet.
• Torpedo grass grows up to 2 feet tall
• It has no seeds and you can use them as a natural fertilizer for your lawn or garden.
• It grows back after several years of planting.
• It is a low-maintenance grass and can grow in poor soil.

How to Identify Bermuda Grass

• Bermuda is known as a warm-season annual grass plant, and it grows from March through September annually. Some places have longer growing seasons of Bermuda grass than others.
• Bermuda grass has greyish and thinly hairy small leaves.
• Bermuda plant’s stems grow upright
• The leaves of Bermuda grass form whorls around the stems as they develop from seedlings until they reach a height of about 2-3 feet.
• People grow it in most climates around North America, and other regions.
• It needs high temperatures during its growing period.
• The upper leaves of Bermuda grass are smaller, and the lower leaves grow larger as they develop from seedlings until they reach a height of maturity at 8 inches long.
• Bermuda grass grows reddish-brown flowers 
• The flowers of Bermuda are found on spikelets with narrow yellow sheaths and pollen sacs.
• Bermuda grass spikelets will appear on different branches, and in tufts of three, with each of them having one seed that is white or yellow to greenish-brown, depending on the variety.

Torpedo Grass Vs Bermuda Grass (Which is Best For A Lawn?)

Torpedo Grass vs Bermuda, which one is better? None is better than the other but you can choose according to your location, climate tolerance, maintenance features and how tall they can grow.

Torpedo Grass	Bermuda Grass
Warm-season grass	Bermuda grass grows well in all of North America except in Alaska and other extremely cold climates and southern states.
Grows well in the USA, Mexico, South America, and Southern Canada	Grows in all areas of North America
Shallow root system	Deep root system
Low-maintenance	Low-maintenance
It grows up to 2 feet tall	Grows shorter within 2-5 feet of the ground.
Can survive drought and extreme cold or not because it has a deep root system	Harder to grow in extreme cold or extremely hot climates but it can survive with proper care.
It needs a little bit of water and fertilizer throughout the whole year.	Require a few hours of irrigation per week.

How To Get Rid of Bermuda Grass on Your Lawn

Bermuda grass is a weed that can grow at an extremely fast rate, making it difficult for gardeners to control. If you would like to get rid of it completely, follow the steps below:

• Use a fertilizing spray to kill the existing roots, rhizomes, traces of living tissue and other parts of the weed.
• Use a special chemical treatment to kill the infestation, and its future growths, and prevention from coming back again on your lawn.
• By hiring a professional to get rid of the stubborn Bermuda grass if you don’t have the time to do it yourself.

How to Get Rid of Torpedo Grass on Your Lawn

The best way to ensure that your Bermuda grass does not get infested is to maintain a healthy condition. But if it’s already infested and you want to eradicate it, follow the method below:

• Getting special chemical treatments used as fertilizer and not as a herbicide to kill the Torpedo grass.
• By hiring a reliable and experienced Torpedo removal person or company.
• If you have the experience, you can get the manual tools that help you to remove the grass manually. You can remove it from its roots without causing damage.
• You can also use shovels or spades to dig out your lawns where it has grown thick and dense.
• By using a special spray or herbicide to eliminate the Torpedo grass.

FAQs

What is Another Name for Torpedo Grass?

There are many names for Torpedo grass and they are: 

• Wainaku grass
• Bullet grass
• Quack grass
• Couch panicum
• Dogtooth grass
• Creeping panic, and
• Panic rampant.

What is Bermuda grass also known as?

Bermuda grass is also called Digitaria sanguinalis or crabgrass, Bahama grass, devil’s grass, dubo, ethana grass, Indian doab, dūrvā grass, dog grass, couch grass, and dog’s tooth grass. 

Is Bermuda Grass the Same as Torpedo Grass?

Torpedo grass is a perennial grass, also called Bullet grass, or a Coastal grass. While Bermuda grass is an annual grass, also known as Couch Panicum, or Creeping Panic.

What are the Benefits of Torpedo Grass?

• The first advantage of Torpedo grass is that wildlife like songbirds and waterfowl use and rest on it often torpedo grass. 
• It is a great forage plant for mammals.
• They are used for erosion control, especially for shoreline stabilization and areas that have drought or periods of inundation.

What is the Advantage of Bermuda Grass?

• Bermuda grass produces a great green and dense turf that is well adapted to most soils.
• It has good wear and drought tolerance.
• They grow easily and can outcompete most weed species out there.

Does Anything Kill Torpedo Grass?

Yes, you can use Postemergence herbicides for Torpedo grass control. Other herbicides are imazapy and glyphosate.

Read: What Is The Tallest Type Of Grass?

Conclusion 

We know Torpedo grass to be an annual grass, that people use as an ornamental grass in the United States. The grass grows up to 2 feet tall and has light green leaves. 

Torpedo grass grows best in indirect sun and has a moderate growth rate. They have a shallow root system and can’t survive extremely cold temperatures.

Bermuda grass is a warm-season grass, which is native to the United States. It grows up to 12 inches tall and has grayish and thinly hairy small leaves.

They have a deep root system that can survive drought and extreme cold. You can select anyone you want which will be suitable for your climate condition.