Crabgrass
Digitaria sanguinalis · Warm-season, Annual, C4
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae, tribe Paniceae
Grass Category
Invasive/Weed Grass
Variety / Cultivar
Wild type (Large Crabgrass / Hairy Crabgrass)
Hardiness Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones 3-10; thrives in high summer heat and exhibits complete winterkill as an annual plant, surviving solely through seed banks.
About This Grass
An aggressive, low-growing summer annual grass that spreads rapidly via prostrate stems rooting at the nodes. It features coarse, light to medium green leaves and distinct finger-like (digitate) raceme seed heads containing multiple spikes.
Blade Characteristics
Coarse blades (>4mm wide), flat, pointed tips, light to medium green, rolled in the bud (vernation), with noticeable hairs on the leaf blades and sheaths. Prominent membranous ligule, no auricles.
Root System
Shallow, fibrous root system with stolons that readily root at the lower nodes, establishing quickly in disturbed soils and bare patches, forming a loose sod.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Europe and temperate Asia; now globally naturalized throughout temperate and tropical regions, performing best in warm, sunny environments.
Growth Habit
Stoloniferous and spreading, rooting at the lower nodes, forming loose or sprawling mats with a coarse, prostrate to ascending habit.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Full sun requirement, highly intolerant of heavy shade. Moderate to high water needs for rapid growth, but very resilient once established, though susceptible to prolonged drought unless dormant. Prefers moist, compacted, or disturbed soils with a neutral pH.
Mowing & Maintenance
Low mowing heights encourage horizontal spreading and seed production below the blade level. High maintenance when treated as a weed, requiring pre-emergent herbicides in early spring and post-emergent control during summer.
Special Characteristics
Extremely high wear and heat tolerance; prolific seed producer; poor shade tolerance; highly invasive in managed lawns and turf, easily crowding out stressed or thin turfgrasses.
Ecological Information
Introduced weed species in North America; provides minimal wildlife forage value; highly invasive in lawns, gardens, and agricultural fields; acts as an opportunistic pioneer species in disturbed, bare soils.