College of Agriculture & Natural Resources

• Fairy Ring

  Fairy rings tend to grow in circle shaped patterns through the organic matter in the soil, mat, and thatch, first appearing as dark green circular rings or arcs in the turf.

• 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.

• Smut

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

• Goosegrass

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

• Common Milkweed

  Milkweed is easily identified by its upright growth habit and large (entire) leaves. All plant parts will exude a milky white latex when broken.

• 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.

• Necrotic Ring Spot

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

• Common Mallow

  Common mallow most often establishes along culverts, fencelines and near foundations. Common mallow forms a clump whorled branches that do not root where they touch the ground.

• 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.

• 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).

• 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.

• Prostrate Knotweed

  Prostrate knotweed is a supreme indicator weed. Knotweed is the earliest germinating of all the summer annual weeds. Due to its early germination timing, knotweed is able to claim resources and invade damaged areas before other desirable grasses begin to grow.

• Red Sorrel

  Red sorrel is a perennial weed of low-maintenance sites characterized by dry, infertile and often low pH soils. Red sorrel will survive at neutral pH but is usually not as prevalent because the turf will be more competitive under these conditions.

• Gray Snow Mold

  This disease is important in northern regions of the United States, where snow cover remains on the ground for extended periods, usually 3 months or more.

• Wild Strawberry

  Wild strawberry is a trifoliate (three leaflets) weed that spreads by aggressive stolons. The leaves and fruit of wild strawberry are smaller than that of its cultivated cousin. Wild strawberry is usually found in low maintenance areas and prefers well-drained soils.

• 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.

• Slime Mold

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

• Smooth Crabgrass

  Smooth crabgrass is the most common summer annual grass problem in managed turf.

• 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.