Bahiagrass is an excellent grass species for slope protection, soil stabilization, and orchard cover.

Bahiagrass, also known as Pensacola bahiagrass, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the genus Paspalum of the grass family (Poaceae). It is native to tropical America and is currently widely cultivated in southern China. It is a warm-season grass that grows vigorously in spring and summer, while its aboveground parts turn yellow and go dormant at low winter temperatures. The inflorescence usually divides into two or three branches, which spread out to resemble the letter Y, making it fairly easy to identify.

The most notable feature of bahiagrass is its well-developed root system, which penetrates deep into the soil and gives it strong soil-binding ability. It is drought-tolerant and tolerant of poor, thin soils, and can also adapt to acidic soil, still growing normally on barren slopes. In addition, it tolerates trampling and pruning, and once a lawn is established, management is relatively extensive.

In practical applications, bahiagrass is often used for soil and water conservation on highway slopes, embankments, and barren hillsides, making it a common slope-protection grass. In southern orchards, people also like to interplant bahiagrass between rows as a cover plant, which not only reduces rain erosion but also preserves soil moisture and protects the soil; the mown grass can also be used to mulch around tree trunks. At the same time, it is a commonly used forage grass that can be grazed or cut for green feeding.

Bahiagrass is generally planted after temperatures steadily warm up in spring, either by drilling or broadcasting. Its seed coat is relatively hard and germination is rather slow, so soaking the seeds in warm water or scarifying the seed coat before sowing helps speed up germination. Seedling growth is relatively slow, so weeds need to be removed promptly; once the grass layer forms, it becomes much less demanding.