Large Crabgrass
Digitaria sanguinalis · Warm-season, Annual, C4
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae, tribe Paniceae
Grass Category
Invasive/Weed Grass, Lawn/Turf Weed
Variety / Cultivar
Wild type (no specific commercial cultivars)
Hardiness Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones 3-10; thrives in hot summer conditions and completes its life cycle in a single year, dying with the first heavy frost.
About This Grass
An annual grassy weed with a sprawling, semi-erect growth habit, growing up to 1-2 feet tall when unmowed. Light to yellowish-green in color, becoming purplish at the base. Coarse texture with characteristic finger-like (digitate) raceme seed heads.
Blade Characteristics
Blades are medium-to-coarse width (4-10 mm), flat, pointed at the tips, light green to blue-green, with sparse hairs on both surfaces. Vernation is rolled. Ligule is a membranous fringe with a truncate top. Auricles are absent.
Root System
Shallow, fibrous root system with stolons that root at the lower joints (nodes). Fast to establish from seed, forms a loose sod that outcompetes stressed turf.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to Europe and temperate Asia; now naturalized worldwide in temperate and tropical regions.
Growth Habit
Stoloniferous and spreading; stems branch and root at the lower nodes, forming a loose, sprawling mat.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun and excellent light exposure; intolerant of heavy shade. Moderate to high water needs during germination and active summer growth, but moderately drought-tolerant by entering dormancy or surviving dry spells.
Mowing & Maintenance
Resilient to mowing due to its sprawling growth habit, often surviving below standard lawn mowing heights (1.5-2.5 inches). High maintenance required to eradicate via pre-emergent herbicides, hand-pulling, or dense turf maintenance.
Special Characteristics
Excellent tolerance to heat and dry soils, highly invasive in thin or stressed turfgrass lawns. Very poor shade tolerance. Can aggressively colonize bare spots along pavement and edging.
Ecological Information
Introduced species in North America. Provides minimal forage or seed value for local wildlife compared to native grasses. Often acts as a pioneer species on disturbed soils, aiding erosion control temporarily until choked out by perennials.