What type of grass/weed is this?

We are in the mountains of East Tennessee (Newport area) and this grass/weed is growing in spots throughout the property. We've also seen this poking through a nearby country gravel road. It's very soft and does not seem to grow much taller than what is shown in the picture. Does anyone know what type of grass/weed this is?

Here is the same patch from another angle.

Looks like the carpetgrass that we use in warmer regions of the South. Is it not common in your area? Maybe too cool?

I think it is fairly common in this area because we are seeing it in a lot of different spots. We want to replant it in an area where grass does't grow well since it seems to be very hardy. We have been unable to grow any other type of grass on the side of a hill but thought this might be a good option.

Kimberly Koester wrote:I think it is fairly common in this area because we are seeing it in a lot of different spots. We want to replant it in an area where grass does't grow well since it seems to be very hardy. We have been unable to grow any other type of grass on the side of a hill but thought this might be a good option.

I use a mix of carpetgrass, bahiagrass, and browntop millet to reseed where the chickens have scratched the grass to oblivion. You might want to see how that works.

Is there any chance this could be Bahia grass?

John, thank you so much. That is definitely worth a try! Thank you for the tip!

Kimberly Koester wrote:Is there any chance this could be Bahia grass?

Bahiagrass puts out a distinctive seed stalk that is a foot or more tall with little black bits on it.



Carpetgrass seed stalks lay close to the ground.

OK, it's definitely not Bahia grass then. No stalks that we have seen. And now that I look at carpet grass I think what we have is more dense than the pictures posted online.

Does it have purple (or some shade of red) flowers?
If so I have them too but but in my lawn they are too weak only in my "disturb area" aka the garden.

I don't think that's a grass at all. My bet is it's a "Wandering Jew" relative, like this:

http://www.esc.nsw.gov.au/weeds/Images/herbs/Commelina%20cyanea4.jpg

Or perhaps another relative, the Tradescantia.

http://www.florafinder.com/LargePhotos/D8/Tradescantia_virginiana-430DA2D568.jpg

You'll have to see what the blooms look like. If the stems are fleshy, I have something similar in my yard.

I agree with David Goodman . We have quite a bit of that around . Wait for the flowers.