Large Crabgrass
Digitaria sanguinalis · Warm-season, Annual, C4 grass
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae, tribe Paniceae
Grass Category
Invasive/Weed Grass, Turf Invader
Variety / Cultivar
Wild type (common weed species with no standard cultivated varieties)
Hardiness Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones 3-10, active during frost-free summer months and dies completely with the first hard frost.
About This Grass
An aggressive, low-growing annual grassy weed forming large, sprawling clumps. Light to medium green color, coarse texture, can grow up to 1-2 feet tall if left unmowed but usually forms flat, sprawling patches in lawns. Produces finger-like raceme seed heads in late summer.
Blade Characteristics
Coarse blades (4-10mm wide), flat, pointed tips, light green to bluish-green, rolled in the bud (vernation). Membranous ligule with no auricles, and hairy sheaths.
Root System
Shallow to moderate fibrous root system with nodes along the stolons that root easily into the soil. Fast establishment from seed, poor drought tolerance in prolonged dry spells but highly resilient during summer rains.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to Europe and temperate Asia; now naturalized worldwide and common across North America
Growth Habit
Stoloniferous and prostrate, spreading rapidly via rooting lower stems (stolons) to form loose mats
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires Full Sun, cannot tolerate heavy shade. High water needs during germination and active summer growth, moderate drought tolerance by going dormant in dry spells. Prefers warm, compacted soils.
Mowing & Maintenance
Grows too fast during summer, requiring frequent mowing. Tolerates low mowing by spreading horizontally. High maintenance if trying to eradicate; controlled via pre-emergent herbicides and maintaining thick turf.
Special Characteristics
High wear tolerance in summer, excellent heat tolerance (C4 photosynthetic pathway), highly invasive in thin lawns, poor winter color retention (dies out completely in winter), excellent at colonizing bare soil and erosion control.
Ecological Information
Introduced weed species in North America. Provides minimal wildlife food (seeds for birds), but its aggressive nature often outcompetes desirable turfgrasses. Often controlled by maintaining dense turf as a natural barrier.