Large Crabgrass
Digitaria sanguinalis · Warm-season, Annual, C4
Grass Family
Poaceae, Panicoideae
Grass Category
Invasive/Weed Grass
Variety / Cultivar
Common (Wild type)
Hardiness Zones
Zones 3-11; dies off after the first hard frost but leaves behind thousands of dormant seeds.
About This Grass
A coarse-textured, opportunistic annual weed. It forms low-growing, pale green mats that stand out against darker turf. Seed heads are digital (finger-like) spikes appearing in late summer.
Blade Characteristics
Coarse (5-10mm wide), flat, pointed tip, light green to yellowish-green; blades often hairy on both surfaces. Rolled vernation, hairy ligule, no auricles.
Root System
Shallow, fibrous root system; nodes on stems (stolons) root easily upon contact with moist soil; rapid establishment in thinning turf.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Europe and Asia; widely naturalized across North America
Growth Habit
Prostrate, spreading bunch-type with rooting at lower stem nodes (decumbent)
Sunlight & Water Needs
Full sun (highly opportunistic in thin lawns), moderate water needs but very drought tolerant; thrives in compacted or nutrient-poor soils.
Mowing & Maintenance
Mowed height is irrelevant as it adapts to any height; thrives when turf is mowed too short. Control requires pre-emergent herbicides in early spring.
Special Characteristics
Extremely high seed production; can produce up to 150,000 seeds per plant; high heat and traffic tolerance; allelopathic tendencies.
Ecological Information
Introduced/Invasive; seeds are eaten by some songbirds, but generally considered a nuisance that outcompetes desired native or turf species.