Goosegrass (also known as Silver Crabgrass or Wiregrass)
Eleusine indica · Warm-season Annual, C4 photosynthetic pathway
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Chloridoideae, tribe Cynodonteae
Grass Category
Invasive/Weed Grass
Variety / Cultivar
None (Wild type species)
Hardiness Zones
USDA Zones 3-11 (as an annual); germinates when soil temperatures reach 60-65°F (transition and warm zones); dies with first hard frost.
About This Grass
A low-growing, tufted annual grass with a distinct silvery or white center near the crown. It has a prostrate growth habit that allows it to survive very low mowing heights. It is notoriously difficult to pull due to a strong, fibrous root system.
Blade Characteristics
Medium-coarse (3-8mm), flat or folded, dark green blades with a blunt or pointed tip. Vernation is folded. It features a short, membranous ligule that is bifid (cleft). Sheaths are strongly compressed and flattened, usually white or pale green at the base.
Root System
Extremely tough, deep, fibrous root system; does not produce rhizomes or stolons but anchors firmly into compacted soils. Low thatch tendency but high competition for nutrients.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to Eurasia and Africa; widely naturalized globally in tropical and temperate regions especially in compacted soils
Growth Habit
Bunch-type clump forming a prostrate, radial rosette; highly compressed stems that spread outward from a central point
Sunlight & Water Needs
Full sun preferred; highly drought-tolerant once established. Thrives in dry, compacted soils where turf grasses fail. Tolerates various soil pH levels.
Mowing & Maintenance
Maintenance involves eradication rather than cultivation. It can survive mowing heights as low as 0.25 inches. High maintenance required for control (pre-emergent herbicides in spring, post-emergent in summer).
Special Characteristics
Exceptional wear and traffic tolerance; thrives in compacted athletic fields and paths. Resistant to many common turf herbicides and highly competitive against desirable lawn grasses.
Ecological Information
Introduced/Invasive status in North America. Provides minimal wildlife value; primarily acts as a pioneer species in disturbed, degraded, or compacted soils. Can host certain turf pathogens like summer patch.