Weeds

Annual bluegrass (Poa annua) is a winter annual grassy weed with light green patches and white seed heads visible at mowing height. It germinates in fall, peaks in spring, and dies in summer heat. Prevent with fall pre-emergent in late August.

Chickweed is a winter annual with small oval opposite leaves, a single line of hairs along the stem, and tiny white star-shaped flowers. It thrives in cool, moist, shaded areas. Prevent with fall pre-emergent or treat with broadleaf herbicide.

White clover is a low-growing perennial with three round leaflets and white ball-shaped flowers. It fixes nitrogen in the soil and stays green during drought. Whether it's a weed or a feature depends on your lawn goals.

Crabgrass is a summer annual grassy weed that grows in star-shaped clumps across thin or stressed lawns. It dies with the first frost but drops over 150,000 seeds per plant, returning each spring when soil reaches 55 degrees.

Creeping charlie (ground ivy) is a perennial broadleaf weed in the mint family with scalloped round leaves, square stems, and a minty smell when crushed. It spreads by stolons that root at every node, forming dense mats in shaded, moist areas.

Dallisgrass is a perennial grassy weed that forms coarse clumps from a central root crown with tall seed stalks bearing dark seeds. Unlike crabgrass, it returns from the same spot every year and has no effective selective pre-emergent.

Dandelions are perennial broadleaf weeds with jagged rosette leaves, bright yellow flowers, and deep taproots that can extend over a foot into the soil. They spread by wind-blown seeds and regenerate from root fragments if not fully removed.

Foxtail is a summer annual grassy weed with fuzzy, cylindrical seed heads resembling a fox's tail. It grows in upright clumps and germinates at the same soil temperature as crabgrass, making it preventable with the same pre-emergent timing.

Goosegrass is a summer annual grassy weed that forms flat, dark green rosettes with a distinctive white or silver center (zipper pattern). It thrives in compacted soil and germinates 2 to 3 weeks later than crabgrass.

Green kyllinga is a perennial sedge forming dense low mats with tiny green spherical seed heads. It has triangular stems like nutsedge and requires the same sedge-specific herbicides (Sedgehammer, Dismiss). Indicates wet soil conditions.

Henbit is a winter annual broadleaf weed that germinates in fall, flowers purple-pink in early spring, and dies by late May. Prevent it with fall pre-emergent in early September or treat with broadleaf herbicide in spring before it sets seed.

Nimblewill is a fine-textured warm-season perennial grass that creates gray-green patches turning tan in early fall and staying brown into late spring while surrounding cool-season turf is green. Spreads by stolons.

Nutsedge is a perennial sedge with triangular stems and underground tubers. It's not a grass or broadleaf, so standard herbicides don't work. It requires sedge-specific products like halosulfuron (Sedgehammer) and often indicates a drainage problem.

Plantain is a perennial broadleaf weed with oval leaves featuring prominent parallel ribs, growing in a flat rosette. It thrives in compacted soil and is easily killed by any broadleaf herbicide containing 2,4-D.

Quackgrass is a perennial grassy weed spreading by aggressive rhizomes with wider blades and clasping auricles at the leaf base. No selective herbicide exists for it. Control requires spot-treating with glyphosate and reseeding.

Spurge is a summer annual broadleaf weed that forms flat, mat-like growth with small oval leaves and milky white sap when stems are broken. It thrives in hot, dry conditions and along hardscape edges.

Wild violet is a perennial broadleaf weed with heart-shaped waxy leaves and purple flowers. Its leaf coating resists herbicide absorption, making it one of the hardest lawn weeds to eliminate. Triclopyr with surfactant is the most effective treatment.