Large Crabgrass
Digitaria sanguinalis · Warm-season, Annual, C4
Grass Family
Poaceae, Subfamily Panicoideae, Tribe Paniceae
Grass Category
Invasive/Weed Grass (Turf), Forage/Pasture (Agri)
Variety / Cultivar
Common wild variety (though forage cultivars like 'Red River' exist)
Hardiness Zones
Grows as a summer annual in USDA zones 2-11; dies back at first hard frost; seeds remain viable in soil for years.
About This Grass
A coarse-textured, low-growing annual that forms spreading mats. Color is typically a lighter, pale green compared to turfgrass. Seed heads are digital (finger-like) spikes emerging from a common point.
Blade Characteristics
Coarse width (5-10mm); flat shape with a pointed tip; pale to medium green; rolled vernation; distinctively hairy (pubescent) on both surfaces and the sheath. No auricles; ligule is membranous and tall.
Root System
Fibrous and shallow but very aggressive. Roots easily at nodes that touch the soil, allowing it to rapidly colonize bare spots and form dense patches.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to Europe and Asia; widely naturalized across North America and temperate/tropical regions worldwide
Growth Habit
Decumbent or semi-prostrate; spreading via tillers and rooting at the lower nodes (stoloniferous-like behavior)
Sunlight & Water Needs
Full sun is preferred, though it tolerates light shade. Highly drought-tolerant once established; thrives in moist, nitrogen-rich soils but survives in poor, compacted soils.
Mowing & Maintenance
In lawns, it is managed as a weed. In pastures, it is mowed at 3-4 inches. It is low maintenance as a weed, but extremely high maintenance to eradicate from turfgrass via pre-emergent or post-emergent herbicdes.
Special Characteristics
Incredible traffic tolerance; rapid growth in high heat; high seed production (up to 150,000 seeds per plant); salt-tolerant and nitrogen-responsive.
Ecological Information
Introduced species in America; provides high-quality forage for livestock and seeds for songbirds, but is highly invasive in managed landscapes and competes aggressively with native species.