College of Agriculture & Natural Resources

• Henbit

  Henbit is a winter annual that typically invades new seedings and thin turf (prefers nutrient rich soil). As with most winter annual weeds, they are most noticeable in the year of establishment. As turf density increases after renovation, henbit will not persist after the following spring.

• Creeping Bentgrass

  Creeping bentgrass is a spreading cool-season perennial grass that is commonly used for golf course greens, tees and fairways. Like other grasses, bentgrass can be considered a weed when it is present in another species.

• Gray Leaf Spot

  Gray leaf spot is considered a problem on primarily perennial ryegrass and St. Augustinegrass. The disease first appears as tiny brown spots that enlarge and become oval or elongated.

• Prostrate Spurge

  Prostrate spurge is a late-germinating, low growing, mat-producing summer annual. Spurge is very often found in un-irrigated bark mulch common to parking lot tree islands, crevices and boulevards.

• Red Thread

  Red thread is a disease of slow growing turf. Red thread is easily recognized by the red to coral-pink fungal strands (stromata) produced on leaf blades and sheaths.

• Brown Patch

  Brown patch appears as circular patches, ranging from a few inches to several feet in diameter.

• Purple Deadnettle

  Purple deadnettle is a common weed invader of vacant agricultural fields, landscape borders, derelict lawns, and compost piles.

• Poison Ivy

  Poison ivy is a trailing or climbing vine common to woodlots, naturalized areas, and property boundaries.

• Nimblewill

  Nimblewill is a warm-season turfgrass that will infest cool-season turf. It has excellent winter hardiness which allows it to establish and compete.

• Redroot Pigweed

  Redroot pigweed is a summer annual broadleaf weed that is typically associated with new establishments and other areas of disturbed soil (compost piles, gardens).

• Black Medic

  Black medic is a low-growing creeping weed that is well adapted to many lawn situations. In particular, black medic can be an indication of low soil nitrogen. It is most common to find medic in full sun , low maintenance situations. Black medic and white clover grow in similar situation and are often found growing together.

• Yellow Nutsedge

  Yellow nutsedge is a persistent perennial weed of poorly drained soils. Yellow nutsedge is grass-like in its appearance with parallel leaf veination. The stem of nutsedge is triangular with leaves coming off each corner (three-ranked).

• Necrotic Ring Spot

  The pathogen attacks root systems in the spring and fall, and in the summer, infected plants begin to wilt in patches.

• Yellow Rocket

  Yellow rocket is a rosette-forming winter annual that is usually associated with bare, disturbed soil or new establishments (prefers nutrient-rich, medium-textured soils).

• Rough Bluegrass

  Rough bluegrass is often used to overseed dormant warm-season turfgrasses. Overseeding typically occurs in the fall to provide a playing surface throughout the winter months.

• Common Chickweed

  Primarily a winter annual, common chickweed is frequently found growing in the mulch skirts of shade trees. In general, common chickweed prefers shaded sites with moist soils. The vegetation forms mounds that are 3-7 inches tall. The delicate white-to-pink flowers appear early in the spring. Plants can persist in protected areas well after flowering.

• Yellow Patch

  Yellow patch, also known as cool season brown-patch, is a Rhizoctonia pathogen similar to that of brown patch.

• Prostrate Pigweed

  Prostrate pigweed is a native mat-forming summer annual weed that invades thin, damaged or under-fertilized lawns. It is common in areas with disturbed soils or neglected areas. Prostrate pigweed lacks the hairs common to redroot pigweed and has smooth leaves.

• Field Bindweed

  Field bindweed is a common weed in subdivisions that were converted from agricultural land. Bindweed has an aggressive rhizomatous root system with trailing stems that spread quickly and can overtake mulched beds, bushes and fence rows. It is common to see bindweed smothering junipers and other bushes. The white and pink flowers are distinctly from the morningglory family. The veins are conspicuous on the arrowhead shaped leaves (sagitate or hastate).

• Yellow Hawkweed

  Yellow hawkweed is a creeping perennial of low maintenance turf, roadsides and native areas. It can be an indicator of low soil fertility or slightly acidic soils. Hawkweed spreads by stolons and rhizomes creating colonies that form patches.