This cosmopolitan species of tropical to warm temperate regions, with aggressive rhizomes or stolons, is widely grown in lawns and has become abundantly naturalized in southern regions of the U.S.A. In Ky. flowering (anthesis) has occurred mostly during late June to August; however, flowering has been recently observed in late May (28 May 2024 in a shopping center of FAYE) to early June (5 June 2024 at Easter Seals in FAYE). C. dactylon behaves somewhat as a warm-season equivalent to fescue, with much utility for pastures, lawns and erosion control. But in mid-temperate climates, it often becomes a horticultural problem, with dead (above ground) patches on lawns in winter. Also, it can become remarkably weedy among low shrubs, sometimes actually climbing into them up to a meter or so high. C. dactylon has been widespread in Ky. for a century or more (Gm); see also note under Muhlenbergia schreberi. Anderson (1924) noted: "grows everywhere, especially along railroad embankments, where it is frequently planted as a soil binder. Spreads rapidly by its stolons. but rarely perfects seed." As in most other species of the genus (FNA 25), both diploids and tetraploids are known (2n = 18 and 36). C. dactylon is generally a highly nutririous grass that can form "grazing lawns" which proliferate with intense repeated grazing (McNaughron 1984). In Africa, "elephants have been observed (Skarpe unpublished) to feed on the green parts of grasses like Panicum repens and Cynodon dactylon in the growing season, discarding underground parts, but in the dry season to kick up and eat the nutrient rich rhizomes while discarding the wilted shoots (Skarpe & Hester 2008)."