Crabgrass (or Crab grass)
Digitaria sanguinalis · Warm-season, Annual, C4
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae
Grass Category
Invasive/Weed Grass, Lawn/Turf Weed
Variety / Cultivar
Common wild type (Large Crabgrass / Hairy Crabgrass)
Hardiness Zones
Thrives across USDA Hardiness Zones 3 through 10 as a summer annual, completing its life cycle in a single year and dying with the first hard frost.
About This Grass
Aggressive, coarse-textured annual grass with a spreading, low-profile growth habit when mowed, but can reach 1-2 feet tall when left unmowed. Bright to light green color, turning purplish in autumn. Produces distinctive finger-like (digitate) raceme seed heads.
Blade Characteristics
Medium to coarse width (4-10mm), flat, pointed tips, light green to grayish-green color, rolled in the bud (vernation). Membranous ligule, no auricles, and hairy leaf sheaths and blades.
Root System
Fibrous and shallow root system with stolons that root at the nodes. Rapid establishment from seed in spring, low drought tolerance in severe dry spells, but exceptionally persistent.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to Europe and temperate Asia; now widely naturalized globally in temperate and tropical regions
Growth Habit
Stoloniferous and branching; sprawls outward, rooting at lower nodes to form dense mats
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun (intolerant of dense shade), moderate to high water needs for rapid growth, highly adaptable to various soil types and compact soils, prefers slightly acidic to neutral pH.
Mowing & Maintenance
Grows rapidly and requires frequent mowing. Best controlled through pre-emergent herbicides in early spring and maintaining a thick, healthy turf canopy. High maintenance when trying to eradicate.
Special Characteristics
High seed production, excellent ability to invade thin or stressed lawns, poor traffic wear tolerance compared to established turfgrasses, highly competitive in bare spots.
Ecological Information
Introduced weed species in North America. Provides minimal wildlife food/cover compared to native grasses. Can help stabilize bare soil temporarily but generally considered a nuisance in managed turf landscapes.