Crabgrass is a summer annual. Although it only propagates via seeds, these
plants can make an incredibly large number of seeds in a short period of time.
The leaves and seeds are edible, and do provide some forage for birds.
The two main weedy species are Digitaria sanguinalis (Large Crabgrass) and
D. ischaemum (Small Crabgrass). In the garden they can be controlled by pulling,
hoeing, or hand digging. In the lawn, setting the lawnmower at a higher setting will
allow your lawn grasses to shade out crabgrass so it can\'t compete effectively.
You know what it looks like in your lawn, but can you identify it when it's in your garden?
WHAT AM I?
Genus: Digitaria
Species: various
Family: Gramineae
Common Name: Crabgrass
Origin: Europe
All contents © Travis Saling
This page was last updated
November 18, 2013