Large Crabgrass
Digitaria sanguinalis · Warm-season, Annual, C4
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae, tribe Paniceae
Grass Category
Invasive/Weed Grass
Variety / Cultivar
Wild type (common weed variety)
Hardiness Zones
Thrives across USDA Hardiness Zones 3-10 as a warm-season summer annual. Dies off completely with the first hard autumn frost.
About This Grass
A coarse, light green to yellowish-green annual grassy weed with a sprawling, low-growing habit. Stems often branch at the base and can develop purplish-red tinting near the root crown. Unmowed height can reach up to 1-2 feet, though it spreads horizontally close to the ground beneath standard mowing heights. Seed heads consist of 3 to 10 finger-like racemes arranged digitately at the top of the stem.
Blade Characteristics
Coarse texture with blades typically 4-10mm wide, flat, and pointed at the tips. Leaf blades and sheaths are often sparsely to densely hairy. Vernation is rolled in the bud. Ligule is a membranous fringe, and auricles are absent.
Root System
Shallow, fibrous root system with weak perennial tendencies only in tropical climates, but strictly annual in temperate zones. Spreads rapidly via stolons that root at nodes touching the soil.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Europe and temperate Asia; now naturalized worldwide in temperate and tropical regions.
Growth Habit
Stoloniferous and prostrate, rooting at the lower nodes, spreading outward from a central crown to form wide mats.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun and thrives in hot, dry, compacted soils where desirable turf is thin or stressed. Moderate water needs once established, but highly resilient during dry spells by going dormant or surviving on minimal moisture.
Mowing & Maintenance
Extremely difficult to control through mowing alone due to its low-growing, prostrate habit which slips underneath standard lawn mower blades. High maintenance required to prevent infestation via pre-emergent herbicides and maintaining dense turf canopy.
Special Characteristics
Exceptional ability to invade thin or stressed lawns, high tolerance for heat and compacted soils, moderate drought resistance, and prolific seed production. Lacks desirable turf qualities, creating unsightly yellowish patches.
Ecological Information
Introduced species considered a noxious agricultural and lawn weed. Provides minimal wildlife food value compared to native grasses, but can act as temporary ground cover to prevent erosion on bare disturbed soils.