Large Crabgrass
Digitaria sanguinalis · Warm-season, Annual, C4
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae, tribe Paniceae
Grass Category
Invasive/Weed Grass, Lawn/Turf Weed
Variety / Cultivar
Wild type (no specific cultivars developed as it is widely considered an agricultural and turf weed)
Hardiness Zones
Thrives across USDA Hardiness Zones 3 through 10. Dies off completely with the first hard frost in autumn.
About This Grass
An aggressive, low-growing annual weed that forms sprawling patches. Leaves are bright green to blue-green, coarse in texture, and can grow up to 6 inches tall before sending up distinctive, finger-like seed heads with 3 to 10 spike-like racemes radiating from the top of the stem.
Blade Characteristics
Blades are medium to coarse in width (4-10 mm), flat, pointed at the tip, bright green, and rolled in the bud (vernation). The ligule is membranous and jagged, and auricles are absent. Leaves and sheaths are typically hairy.
Root System
Shallow, fibrous root system with stolons that root at the nodes when in contact with damp soil, allowing it to spread rapidly across bare spots.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to Europe and temperate Asia; now cosmopolitan and naturalized globally in temperate and tropical regions.
Growth Habit
Stoloniferous with a sprawling, spreading habit, rooting at the lower nodes, forming loose mats or patches.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun and thrives in hot, dry conditions once established. Moderate water needs, though highly drought-tolerant by going dormant or surviving in thin turf areas.
Mowing & Maintenance
Hard to control by mowing alone as it often grows flat against the ground below the mower blades. Hand-pulling, pre-emergent herbicides in early spring, and post-emergent selective herbicides are standard maintenance.
Special Characteristics
Excellent tolerance for heat, drought, and poor, compacted soils. Highly competitive in thin turfgrass but very low wear tolerance compared to established turf species.
Ecological Information
Introduced species considered a noxious weed in lawns and agricultural fields. Seeds provide occasional food for ground-feeding birds, but overall ecosystem value in managed landscapes is negative due to its invasive, weed-like tendency.