College of Agriculture & Natural Resources

• Tall Fescue

  Tall fescue is a clumping perennial cool-season turfgrass. Its coarse texture and aggressive growth habit make it objectionable in many situations because it does not mix well with other turfs.

• Rust

  Rust diseases are characterized by yellow to dark brown urediospore infestations that, from a distance, make turf stands appear orange or yellow.

• Smut

  The smut diseases are important on many Kentucky bluegrass cultivars and higher cut turfgrass.

• Slime Mold

  Slime molds are non-pathogenic fungi that occasionally dwell on many different turfgrass species.

• Yellow Woodsorrel

  Yellow woodsorrel is a common summer annual in cool-season turf. Yellow woodsorrel is one of the latest germinating summer annual weeds. Often, infestations of oxalis can be associated with spring-timed broadleaf weed control applications.

• 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.

• Germander Speedwell

  Speedwell is often used as an ornamental ground cover and is commonly available at retail greenhouses. Germander speedwell is a perennial that has simple, opposite narrow leaves near the base that are slightly elongated.

• Perennial Sowthistle

  Perennial sowthistle is common in roadside and low maintenance turf and somewhat less common in landscapes. It prefers slightly alkaline or neutral soils, fine-textured, rich soils. Perennial sowthistle will not thrive on coarse sandy soils.

• Chicory

  Chicory is a simple (unbranched) perennial with a jagged fleshy taproot. The coarsely-toothed basal leaves are 6-8" long and form a rosette.

• Shepherd's Purse

  Shepherd's purse is a winter annual with a basal rosette of lobed leaves and a long flowering stalk. Leaves become more deeply lobed as they mature. Due to extremely long-lived seeds and an affinity for disturbed soil, it is most often a weed of new seedings established between mid-August and the end of September.

• Bacterial Wilt

  Bacterial wilt is characterized by tiny red-copper-colored spots first appearing about the size of a dime. As more plants die, spots become larger. Small, yellow leaf spots, streaked tan to dark brown spots, dark green, water soaked lesions, shriveled blue to dark green leaves, and yellow elongated leaves are all symptoms that have been associated with bacterial wilt.

• Heal All

  Heal All is a low growing, spreading, perennial of the mint family. It has very distinctive 'puckered' leaves with an opposite arrangement on square stems.

• 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.

• Yellow Patch

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

• Large Crabgrass

  Large crabgrass is a common invader of manicured turf. Large crabgrass has hairs on all surfaces. It can be identified by its light green appearance and swollen, zig-zag nodes.

• Creeping Woodsorrel

  Creeping woodsorrel is a spreading perennial weed with a reddish-purple color that frequently roots at the nodes.

• Silvery Thread Moss

  Silvery thread moss is the most common species found in turfgrass, usually appearing on putting greens and in shaded back yards.

• Giant Foxtail

  Giant foxtail is a larger plant than green or yellow foxtail. Giant foxtail will not tolerate mowing and is rarely found in mowed turf areas. It is most commonly a weed of cultivated crops.

• Bermudagrass

  Bermudagrass is a warm-season perennial that spreads by stolons (above ground runners). Bermudagrass is a not widely considered to be cold tolerant, however, several selections exist that can overwinter in Michigan.

• 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).