Large Crabgrass
Digitaria sanguinalis · Warm-season, Annual, C4
Grass Family
Poaceae, Panicoideae, Paniceae
Grass Category
Invasive/Weed Grass
Variety / Cultivar
Native/Wild Species
Hardiness Zones
USDA Zones 2-11 (as an annual). Germinates when soil temperatures reach 55°F for several consecutive days; killed by the first hard frost.
About This Grass
A rapid-growing summer annual that forms dense sprawling mats. It has a distinctive pale green to yellowish-green color. Leaf sheaths and blades are often covered in long, stiff hairs. Seed heads are digital (finger-like) spikes appearing in late summer.
Blade Characteristics
Coarse width (5-15mm), flat shape with a pointed tip. Pale green color with rolled vernation. Blades are notably hairy (pilose) on both surfaces. Ligule is membranous and tall; auricles are absent.
Root System
Shallow, fibrous root system. Highly opportunistic; nodes on the stems root easily upon contact with moist soil, allowing it to rapidly colonize bare patches.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Europe and Asia; naturalized worldwide in temperate and tropical regions
Growth Habit
Prostrate, spreading habit; primarily stoloniferous as stems (culms) root at the lower nodes
Sunlight & Water Needs
Full Sun (requires high light levels); high water needs for rapid growth but moderately drought-tolerant once established; prefers disturbed soils and thrives in pH 5.5 to 7.5.
Mowing & Maintenance
Maintenance involves removal rather than cultivation. It can survive mowing as low as 0.5 inches by transitioning to a prostrate growth habit; highly resistant to typical lawn mowing heights.
Special Characteristics
Extremely high wear tolerance; prolific seed producer (up to 150,000 seeds per plant); allelopathic tendencies that can inhibit the growth of neighboring turfgrasses.
Ecological Information
Introduced/Invasive in turf settings; seeds provide a food source for some songbirds and upland game birds; often a primary colonizer of disturbed or poor-quality soils.