Crabgrass and Mixed Turf Weeds
Digitaria sanguinalis · Warm-season, Annual, C4
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae, tribe Paniceae
Grass Category
Invasive/Weed Grass
Variety / Cultivar
Wild type common large crabgrass
Hardiness Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones 3-10, annual life cycle completes in one growing season, killed by the first heavy frost
About This Grass
Sprawling, low-growing grassy weed with coarse texture, light to yellowish-green color, and prominent finger-like seed heads
Blade Characteristics
Coarse width (4-8mm), flat shape, pointed tips, light green to bluish-green color, rolled in the bud, membranous ligule, and distinct hairs on blades and sheaths
Root System
Shallow fibrous root system with nodes that easily root when touching the soil, rapid establishment from seed
Growing Information
Origin Region
Europe and tropical Asia, now naturalized worldwide
Growth Habit
Stoloniferous and branching, spreading outward from a central crown
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun, moderate to high water needs, low drought tolerance (goes dormant or dies in extreme drought), adapts to compacted, poor soils with a wide pH range
Mowing & Maintenance
Hard to control by mowing alone due to low-growing prostrate stems; requires pre-emergent herbicides, hand-pulling, or dense turf management
Special Characteristics
High invasive capability, poor wear tolerance in manicured turf, thrives in thin turf and bare spots, excellent at colonizing disturbed soil and edges
Ecological Information
Considered an invasive agricultural and lawn weed, provides minimal wildlife food value compared to native grasses, frequently invades thin turf bordering gravel paths and concrete