Yellow Nutsedge (often mistaken for grass)
Cyperus esculentus · Warm-season, Perennial, C4 monocot (Sedge)
Grass Family
Cyperaceae (Sedge Family)
Grass Category
Invasive/Weed Grass
Variety / Cultivar
Common wild type
Hardiness Zones
USDA Zones 3 through 10; goes dormant and turns brown after the first hard frost, surviving winter as tubers.
About This Grass
An aggressive, erect perennial that stands taller than turfgrass. It is lighter green/yellow than most lawn grasses, with a waxy texture and an upright growth habit. At maturity, it produces a yellowish-brown seed head (spikes) atop a triangular stem.
Blade Characteristics
Blades are 4-10mm wide, v-shaped in cross-section with a distinct mid-rib. Tips are long and tapering (acuminate). Color is pale or chartreuse green. The base of the stem is distinctively triangular (edges you can feel) and lacks a ligule or auricles.
Root System
Extensive fibrous roots with underground rhizomes that terminate in small, starchy tubers (nutlets) about 1/2 inch in diameter. This allows for rapid re-emergence if the top is pulled.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to North America, Europe, and much of the Old World; thrives in temperate to tropical climates.
Growth Habit
Rhizomatous with tubers (nutlets); spreads rapidly via underground systems, forming dense patches.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Full sun to partial shade; prefers wet, poorly drained soils but is highly drought-tolerant once established due to tubers.
Mowing & Maintenance
Hard to control via mowing as it grows faster than turf; requires specific sedge-control herbicides (e.g., Sedgehammer) rather than standard broadleaf killers. High maintenance to eradicate.
Special Characteristics
Highly invasive in lawns; extremely difficult to hand-pull because tubers remain in the soil; salt tolerant; high heat tolerance; triangular stem is the key identifying feature.
Ecological Information
Highly invasive weed in agricultural and turf settings; tubers provide food for some waterfowl/wildlife; outcompetes native grasses in moist areas.