Yellow Nutsedge (often mistaken for a grass, though actually a sedge)
Cyperus esculentus · Warm-season, perennial sedge (C4 photosynthetic pathway)
Grass Family
Cyperaceae (Sedge family)
Grass Category
Invasive/Weed Grass (Sedge)
Variety / Cultivar
Wild type (not typically cultivated as a turfgrass variety, considered a persistent weed)
Hardiness Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 10
About This Grass
Grows in upright, star-like or rosette clusters with V-shaped stems and shiny, yellowish-green to bright green leaves that grow faster than surrounding turfgrass. Height can reach 1 to 2 feet if left unmowed.
Blade Characteristics
Blades are medium width (3-8 mm), folded or V-shaped in cross-section, sharply pointed at the tips, bright yellowish-green with a shiny appearance, and lack ligules and auricles characteristic of true grasses
Root System
Fibrous root system featuring underground rhizomes that produce hard, spherical tubers (nutlets) at their tips, which allow the plant to survive harsh conditions and regenerate rapidly
Growing Information
Origin Region
Cosmopolitan distribution; native to North America and Eurasia, found worldwide in tropical and temperate regions
Growth Habit
Rhizomatous and tuber-bearing, forming colonies via underground stolons that terminate in small, nut-like tubers (nutlets)
Sunlight & Water Needs
Thrives in full sun and wet, poorly drained soils or over-irrigated turf areas; highly resilient in moist conditions but possesses moderate drought tolerance once established
Mowing & Maintenance
Grows extremely fast, often outgrowing surrounding turf within a day or two after mowing; standard mowing encourages lower, broader lateral growth; difficult to control by mowing alone and requires selective post-emergent herbicides specific to sedges
Special Characteristics
Exceptional ability to spread rapidly via underground nutlets; highly resistant to standard broadleaf and grass herbicides; thrives in compacted soils with poor drainage; difficult to eradicate manually because pulling the plant often leaves the nutlets behind to sprout new shoots
Ecological Information
Common agricultural and turf weed; provides minimal wildlife value compared to native grasses; often acts as an indicator species for wet soils, over-watering, or poor subsurface drainage