Crabgrass
Digitaria sanguinalis · Warm-season, Annual, C4
AI-generated identification · may be incorrect
Grass Category
Invasive/Weed Grass
Hardiness Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones 3-10, acts as a warm-season annual dying off completely upon freezing temperatures.
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae
Variety / Cultivar
Wild type
About This Grass
An aggressive, coarse-textured annual grassy weed forming sprawling mats. Light to medium green color, turning purplish in autumn before dying with the first hard frost. Height ranges from 2 to 24 inches if left unmowed.
Blade Characteristics
Coarse blades, typically 4-10 mm wide, flat shape, pointed tips, light green to yellow-green color, rolled in the bud (vernation). Prominent membranous ligule with no auricles.
Root System
Shallow, fibrous root system with exceptional ability to root at lower stem nodes (stolons). Fast establishment from seed, moderate thatch producer.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Europe and temperate Asia, now widely naturalized globally in temperate and tropical regions.
Growth Habit
Stoloniferous and spreading, forming low-growing, aggressive sprawling clumps that root at the nodes.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun and warm temperatures. Tolerates poor, dry soils once established but thrives with regular moisture. Excellent heat and drought dormancy tolerance.
Mowing & Maintenance
Requires frequent mowing to prevent seed production, ideal height 1.5 to 2.5 inches. High maintenance as a weed, controlled primarily via pre-emergent herbicides.
Special Characteristics
Extremely high seed production, good tolerance to compaction and poor soil, highly invasive in thin lawns, poor wear tolerance compared to dense turfgrasses.
Ecological Information
Introduced weed species in North America, provides minimal wildlife forage value, aggressive competitor that crowds out weakened desirable turfgrasses.