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Paspalum urvillei

Vasey grass

HardinessZones 8–11

Overview

Paspalum urvillei is a tall perennial bunchgrass forming dense clumps 3–6.5 feet (1–2 m) tall from a knotty base clothed in hairs. The flat leaf blades are 8–20 inches (20–50 cm) long and 0.2–0.5 inch (5–12 mm) wide, with a prominent membranous ligule. The flowering stems carry an open panicle of 10 to 20 or more slender ascending branches, each lined with paired spikelets fringed in silky white hairs. Flowering runs from late spring through autumn. Native to South America, P. urvillei has become widely naturalized across the southeastern United States and other warm regions, where it is regarded as a weed of pastures, ditches, and roadsides. It grows in moist to wet disturbed ground, including ditch banks, field margins, and low pastures. The grass spreads readily by abundant seed and can crowd out lower vegetation on damp sites; its coarse foliage is of low palatability to livestock.

Native Range

Paspalum urvillei is native to subtropical South America, including Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay. It has naturalized widely in the southeastern United States and other warm-temperate regions, where it grows in moist ditches, roadsides, and disturbed low ground.

Suggested Uses

Used for erosion control and rough forage on wet ground in warm climates. Established clumps stabilize ditch banks and low areas, though the heavy seeding habit limits its use near managed pasture or native plantings.

How to Identify

Identify P. urvillei by its tall clumps to 6.5 feet (2 m) with a hairy base and an open seed head of 10–20 slender ascending branches. The paired spikelets are fringed with silky white hairs visible at maturity. The hairy lower sheaths and tall bunching habit separate it from the smoother Paspalum dilatatum.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height3' - 6'6"

Width/Spread2' - 3'

Colors

Flower Colors

green

Foliage Colors

green

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~22 weeks

Spring Summer Fall

As a grass, P. urvillei produces no showy flowers. The wind-pollinated spikelets mature from late spring through autumn in warm regions, carried on panicles of slender ascending branches. Abundant seed follows and disperses by wind, water, and machinery.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

greenish to purple-tinged spikelets

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun

Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.0 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

clay loam silt sand

Drainagewet

Water & Climate

Water Needs

High

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

1-2 years

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

P. urvillei grows in full sun in moist to wet soil and tolerates poor drainage, periodic flooding, and a range of soil textures. Soil pH from 5.0 to 7.5 is suitable. It withstands heat and humidity and establishes quickly on disturbed ground. The grass self-seeds heavily and can spread beyond where it is planted, becoming weedy on moist sites. It is hardy in USDA zones 8 through 11 and dies back where hard frosts occur. Little care is needed once established.

Pruning

Mowing or cutting before seed set limits self-sowing and keeps clumps lower. Old growth can be cut back to the base in late winter before new shoots emerge. Cutting does not harm established clumps, which regrow from the crown.