Crabgrass (invading clover turf)
Digitaria sanguinalis · Warm-season, Annual, C4
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae, tribe Paniceae
Grass Category
Invasive/Weed Grass (co-occurring with clover ground cover)
Variety / Cultivar
Common wild type
Hardiness Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones 3-10, dies with the first hard frost
About This Grass
Aggressive annual grass spreading outward along the ground with branching stems that root at the nodes, forming wide coarse patches amidst clover
Blade Characteristics
Coarse blades, 4-10mm wide, flat, pointed tips, light to medium green, rolled in bud with a membranous ligule and no auricles
Root System
Fibrous and shallow root system with roots forming at lower stem nodes, rapid establishment speed
Growing Information
Origin Region
Europe and temperate Asia, now globally naturalized
Growth Habit
Stoloniferous and spreading prostrate mat-forming habit
Sunlight & Water Needs
Full sun, moderate water needs, high drought tolerance once established, thrives in poor soils
Mowing & Maintenance
High maintenance due to rapid vertical seed head growth, low mowing height encourages prostrate survival
Special Characteristics
High seed production, poor wear tolerance compared to dense turf, excellent ability to invade thin lawns
Ecological Information
Introduced weed species, provides minor seed source for birds but generally considered a nuisance in turfgrass management