College of Agriculture & Natural Resources

• Yellow Patch

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

• Common Purslane

  Common purslane is a mat-forming summer annual that thrives in all soil types. Common purslane has multi-branched red stems with thick fleshy leaves that cluster at the end of the branches.

• Broadleaf Plantain

  Broadleaf plantain is probably the second most common broadleaf weed of turf after dandelion. It is extremely well adapted to most sites including dry or wet conditions, heavy soils and very low mowing heights.

• Microdochium Patch

  This is the most important disease in areas with extended periods of cool wet weather. Symptoms appear as reddish brown to copper-colored spots in the turf.

• Dollar Spot

  Dollar spot is characterized by round, bleached-out or straw-colored spots, ranging from the size of a quarter to the size of a silver dollar. Spots appear as sunken areas in the turf, especially low mown turfgrass.

• Necrotic Ring Spot

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

• Goosegrass

  Goosegrass is a warm season summer annual grassy weed that predominates in exposed, trafficked conditions.

• Dandelion

  Common dandelion is a simple perennial (no branching) with a basal rosette that has deeply lobed leaves that generally point back towards the center of the rosette. Probably the most common weed in maintained turf.

• Corn Speedwell

  Corn speedwell is an upright, clumping winter annual that produces small purple flowers in the spring. The lower, non-flower, portion of the plant has leaves that are round-to-oblong with rounded teeth on the margin in an opposite arrangement.

• Smut

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

• 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.

• Buckhorn Plantain

  Buckhorn plantain is a narrow-leaved perennial that forms a rosette. The 3-10 inch long leaves are less than 1 inch wide and arise from a thick, shallow tap root. Buckhorn plantain is very common in maintained turf but will also survive in meadows and waste areas.

• Yarrow, Common

  Common yarrow is considered a desirable herbaceous perennial by many gardeners and is sold in its cultivated form at most greenhouses.

• Foliar Anthracnose

  Anthracnose can occur as both a foliar infecting and crown infecting disease.

• Annual Bluegrass

  Annual bluegrass is unique among weeds. There is probably no other weed that is so widely adapted to variations in mowing height, site conditions and cultural practices.

• Birdsfoot Trefoil

  Birdsfoot trefoil is a common perennial broadleaf plant in under-fertilized, minimal maintenance turfgrass sites. It is well distributed across Michigan and the Great Lakes Region.

• 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.

• Leaf Spot

  Leaf spot is a warm-weather disease, but the pathogen overwinters as dormant mycelium in infected plants and dead grass debris.

• 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).