Yellow Foxtail (with surrounding Turf-type Tall Fescue)
Setaria pumila (syn. Setaria glauca) · Warm-season Annual, C4
Grass Family
Poaceae, Subfamily Panicoideae, Tribe Paniceae
Grass Category
Invasive/Weed Grass in lawns; also found in pastures and disturbed sites
Variety / Cultivar
Common Yellow Foxtail (wild-type)
Hardiness Zones
Grown in USDA zones 3-11 as an annual; dies off with the first hard frost but leaves behind thousands of viable seeds.
About This Grass
An upright summer annual weed often found in new lawn seedings. It has a coarse texture, distinctively broad blades compared to turf, and a lime-green to yellowish-green color. If allowed to mature, it produces a spiked, bristly panicle (foxtail) that turns yellowish at maturity.
Blade Characteristics
Coarse blade width (5-10mm); flat shape; long tapered point; lime-green color. Features a rolled vernation and a distinctive fringe of hairs at the ligule. A key ID feature is the presence of long, sparse hairs on the upper surface of the leaf blade near the base/collar area.
Root System
Shallow fibrous root system. It lacks rhizomes or stolons. Fast establishment in bare soil or thin turf (often appearing with straw mulch as seen in the image). Poor thatch tendency but competes heavily for nutrients in its single growing season.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to Europe and Asia; widely naturalized throughout North America in temperate and subtropical climates
Growth Habit
Bunch-type/Clump-forming; spreads primarily through prolific seed production rather than vegetative structures
Sunlight & Water Needs
Full sun preferred; high drought tolerance once established; thrives in moist, disturbed soils but persists during heat and dry spells that stress cool-season turf.
Mowing & Maintenance
Not for maintenance; typically managed by mowing high (3-4 inches) to shade out seedlings or using pre-emergent/post-emergent herbicides. It can survive very low mowing by producing seed heads below mower height.
Special Characteristics
Extremely high seed viability; can remain dormant in soil for years. High tolerance for heat and compaction. In the context of the photo, it is likely a contaminant from the straw mulch used to protect the new grass seeding.
Ecological Information
Introduced/Invasive in turf settings. Provides some food for songbirds and small mammals through its large seed heads, but generally considered a nuisance that outcompetes native or desired perennial grasses in disturbed areas.