It's brown (dormant) from about early November until late March here. This is why weed control is so important here (if one cares about that sort of thing). There are plenty of other plants that will grow in the dormant Bermuda lawn. Trouble is that they are a real hodgepodge. Some have sharp pointy things on them, some grow three feet tall, some have woody stems, and some attract bugs you don't want. The idea of a gravel yard seems more attractive all the time.