How to Identify Green Kyllinga
Green kyllinga (Kyllinga brevifolia) is a perennial sedge that forms very dense, low mats in lawns. Like nutsedge, it has triangular stems (the “sedges have edges” test). But kyllinga stays much lower and forms tighter patches. The seed heads are the key distinction: small green spheres (about the size of a pea) on short stems, compared to nutsedge’s taller stalks with larger seed clusters.
Kyllinga spreads by underground rhizomes and can colonize large areas quickly. It’s most common in warm, wet lawns and is becoming increasingly problematic in the Central Plains and Southeast as a lawn weed.
Treatment
Same herbicides as nutsedge. Halosulfuron (Sedgehammer) and sulfentrazone (Dismiss) both control green kyllinga. Standard broadleaf and grassy weed herbicides are ineffective because kyllinga is a sedge. Apply during active summer growth for best results. Like nutsedge, kyllinga indicates wet soil conditions, and improving drainage reduces favorable conditions.
