Large Crabgrass
Digitaria sanguinalis · Warm-season, Annual, C4
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae, tribe Paniceae
Grass Category
Invasive/Weed Grass
Variety / Cultivar
Wild type (no specific cultivated varieties as it is generally treated as a weed)
Hardiness Zones
USDA Zones 2-10, highly adaptable to warm summers and temperate regions
About This Grass
A coarse, light green to yellow-green annual grass with sprawling stems that branch at the base and root where they touch the soil. Can grow up to 1-2 feet tall if left unmowed, but usually lies prostrate in managed turf. Produces finger-like racemes on seed heads.
Blade Characteristics
Medium to coarse width (4-10mm), flat, pointed tips, light green or blue-green color, rolled in the bud (vernation). Membranous ligule without auricles, and hairy leaf sheaths.
Root System
Shallow, fibrous root system with adventitious roots developing from nodes touching the ground. Fast establishment from seed, poor drought tolerance without summer water, minimal thatch.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Europe and temperate Asia; now globally naturalized
Growth Habit
Stoloniferous and spreading, rooting at the lower nodes, forming loose clumps and aggressive mats
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun and thrives in hot, dry, thin turf areas. Moderate to high water needs for germination, highly prone to summer dormancy during severe droughts.
Mowing & Maintenance
Hard to control by mowing alone due to its low-growing prostrate stems. Requires pre-emergent herbicides in spring, post-emergent selective herbicides, and dense turf maintenance to crowd out.
Special Characteristics
Poor wear tolerance, highly invasive in thin lawns, excellent adaptation to compacted soils and high temperatures, highly prolific seed producer.
Ecological Information
Introduced weed species in North America, minimal desirable wildlife value except as occasional bird food, aggressively competes with and displaces desirable turfgrasses in stressed or thin lawns.