In coastal and some inland valley areas, kikuyugrass may not go dormant in winter. In other inland areas of California, it often turns brown in late November and remains dormant until February or March, depending on temperature. After kikuyugrass resumes growth in late spring, a rapid growth rate is reached by early summer and maintained through early fall. When growing rapidly, kikuyugrass is capable of sustained shoot growth rates exceeding 1 inch per day. Flowering begins in late spring and is stimulated by mowing.
Seed production continues throughout summer and fall.
Carbohydrates are stored in the stems and can be utilized for regrowth after mowing or cultivation. If the stems are chopped into small pieces, each section is capable of producing new shoots and roots from its nodes. Thus kikuyugrass can easily be moved from one area to another on mowing and renovation equipment. St. Augustinegrass, on the other hand, has rounded leaf tips with sharply folded or creased leaf blades. It causes physical, aesthetic, and competition problems.