Crabgrass
Digitaria sanguinalis · Warm-season, Annual, C4
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae
Grass Category
Invasive/Weed Grass
Variety / Cultivar
Wild type (smooth and large crabgrass species)
Hardiness Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones 3-10; strictly an annual completing its lifecycle in one season, killed by the first hard frost
About This Grass
An aggressive annual weed with a coarse texture, light to medium green color, sprawling growth habit, and distinctive finger-like or digitate seed heads radiating from a central point
Blade Characteristics
Coarse width (4-10mm), flat shape, pointed tips, light green to yellowish-green color, rolled in the bud (vernation), with prominent veins and sometimes hairy surfaces, membranous ligule, and no auricles
Root System
Shallow, fibrous root system with stolons that root easily at the nodes; rapid establishment from seed, poor drought tolerance without dormancy mechanisms, does not form tight turf sod
Growing Information
Origin Region
Europe and Asia; now widely naturalized globally in temperate and tropical regions
Growth Habit
Stoloniferous and spreading, rooting at the nodes, forming loose, sprawling mats
Sunlight & Water Needs
Full sun required, highly intolerant of dense shade; moderate to high water needs for rapid growth, moderate drought tolerance by going dormant or producing prolific seeds
Mowing & Maintenance
Hard to control by mowing alone due to sprawling prostrate stems; requires pre-emergent herbicides in spring, post-emergence treatments, and dense turf competition for management; high maintenance as a weed
Special Characteristics
Low wear tolerance in traffic but exceptional ability to rapidly colonize bare spots; highly invasive in weakened or thin lawns, drought-induced dormancy, prolific seed production
Ecological Information
Introduced invasive weed in North America; limited wildlife value compared to native grasses, provides minor seed food for some birds; often indicates compacted soil, low fertility, or sparse turf coverage