Yellow Nutsedge
Cyperus esculentus · Warm-season Perennial Sedge (Note: Not a true grass, but a grass-like monocot)
Grass Family
Cyperaceae (Sedge Family)
Grass Category
Invasive/Weed Grass-like Plant
Variety / Cultivar
Common wild type; no ornamental cultivar present in image.
Hardiness Zones
USDA Zones 3-10; heat tolerant; foliage dies back to the ground after the first frost, but tubers survive freezing temperatures underground.
About This Grass
An aggressive, erect perennial that stands taller than surrounding turf. It is light yellow-green with a distinct triangular stem shape. Leaves are arranged in groups of 3 (triradial). Seed heads are yellowish-brown, umbrella-like spikes (spicklets) that appear in late summer.
Blade Characteristics
Blade width is medium (3-8mm); shape is long, flat, with a prominent midrib forming a V-shape. Light green to lime green color. Vernation is folded. Extremely smooth and waxy cuticle. Distinctive lack of ligule or auricles due to being a sedge, not a grass.
Root System
Fibrous roots with a complex network of rhizomes and tubers. Tubers can remain dormant in soil for years. Rapidly establishes in damp or over-irrigated areas; very difficult to eradicate due to 'nutlets'.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Cosmopolitan; native to much of the Northern Hemisphere, Southern Europe, and Africa. Thrives in disturbed, wet soils.
Growth Habit
Rhizomatous with tubers (nutlets); produces underground stems that form small starchy tubers at the ends.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Full sun to partial shade; prefers wet, poorly drained soils or over-watered lawns. Very high water dependency but can survive drought via tubers.
Mowing & Maintenance
Grows faster than turf grasses, usually appearing above the canopy 2-3 days after mowing. Mowing does not control it; high maintenance required for chemical control (sedgeside) rather than manual removal.
Special Characteristics
Triangular stem (sedges have edges); waxy leaves that repel many standard herbicides; high moisture indicator plant; highly invasive in managed turf and agriculture.
Ecological Information
Introduced/Naturalized; tubers are a food source for some wildlife (waterfowl, rodents); often considered a noxious weed in agricultural and residential landscapes due to its ability to outcompete native species.