College of Agriculture & Natural Resources

• 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).

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Carolina Geranium

  Carolina geranium is an uncommon weed of low or no-maintenance areas such as fence rows. The leaf shape is very similar to common mallow, except that the leaves are more finely dissected. Pink, inconspicuous flowers are produced within the canopy. Plants typically do not persist after flowering.

• 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.

• Yarrow, Common

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

• Creeping Speedwell

  Creeping speedwell is a low growing perennial that prefers shade, moist soils, good fertility and a low mowing height.

• Yellow Patch

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

• White Clover

  White clover is one of the most common weeds of turfgrass. It is frequently included on lists of difficult-to-control weeds. White clover, as with all legumes, has the ability to survive under low soil nitrogen conditions. It can be identified by the three leaflets attached to one petiole.

• Orange Hawkweed

  Orange 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.

• 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.

• Smooth Crabgrass

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

• Wild Carrot

  One of the two most common weeds of Midwestern roadsides. Wild carrot (Queen Anne's-lace) is a biennial that forms a carrot-like taproot that allows it to survive the harsh, gravely, nutrient deficient conditions that it thrives in.