Learning Center / Lawn problems
What are the most common lawn weeds in Northern Virginia?
Crabgrass in summer, dandelion, chickweed and henbit in the cool seasons, plus clover, wild violet, nutsedge, Poa annua, Bermudagrass and Japanese stiltgrass. Knowing which one you have tells you what will actually control it.
- By David Obeid, founder
- Reviewed
- 7 min read
Identification
How do you identify common lawn weeds?
Find the weed you are seeing, then check what controls it.
| Weed | How to spot it | When you see it | What controls it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crabgrass | Coarse, light-green grass that spreads out low in clumps, often along driveways and walks | Summer, until the first frost | Pre-emergent before it sprouts, and a thick lawn mowed tall |
| Dandelion | Toothed leaves in a rosette, yellow flowers, then puffball seed heads | Spring and fall | Broadleaf weed control |
| Chickweed | Low, spreading mats of small, smooth leaves and tiny white flowers | Late fall through spring | Broadleaf weed control |
| Henbit | Square stems, scalloped leaves and small purple flowers | Late winter and spring | Broadleaf weed control |
| Clover | Three-part leaves and white flower heads | Spring through fall | Broadleaf control and better fertility |
| Wild violet | Heart-shaped leaves and purple flowers, often in shade | Spring | Persistent; usually takes more than one treatment |
| Nutsedge | Shiny, yellow-green blades that grow faster than the lawn, with triangular stems | Summer, in wet spots | Targeted treatment; pulling tends to spread it |
| Poa annua | Light-green grass with white seed heads that dies out in summer heat | Spring | Pre-emergent in fall, and a thick lawn |
| Bermudagrass | Wiry grass that spreads by runners and turns tan all winter | Green in summer, tan fall to spring | Suppression program; not guaranteed removal |
| Japanese stiltgrass | Thin, pale-green grass with a silver stripe on the leaf, spreading fast at shady edges | Mid to late summer | Suppression program and a thick lawn |
The pattern
Why do weeds come back every year?
Because weeds move into thin grass and bare soil, and most lawns lose some density every year. Weed control clears what is there, but if nothing fills the space, new weeds take it.
Some weeds also follow the seasons: chickweed and henbit sprout in the cool weather of fall and show up in early spring, while crabgrass sprouts once the soil warms. That is why weed control is timed across the whole year. How to get rid of weeds and keep them out.
Clues
What do your weeds say about your lawn?
Often a lot. Nutsedge points to soil that stays wet. Clover often shows up where the lawn is underfed. Violets and stiltgrass love shade. Crabgrass along the driveway means the soil there warms early and the preventer needs to go down early.
Fixing the condition, whether drainage, feeding, light or mowing height, is what keeps those weeds from coming back.
Related questions
What people also ask
Will a lawn program get rid of all my weeds?
A well-timed program dramatically reduces weeds and builds a lawn dense enough to keep them out. No program eliminates every weed instantly, though, and tough weeds like wild violet and nutsedge can take more than one treatment.
Why does crabgrass die in the fall?
Crabgrass is an annual. It dies with the first frost and comes back from seed the next spring, which is why preventing it in spring matters so much.
Should I pull weeds by hand?
For a few broadleaf weeds, yes. Pulling nutsedge tends to leave tubers behind that sprout again, and Bermudagrass runners break off and regrow, so those need a different approach.
Keep reading
More from the Learning Center
- How do you get rid of lawn weeds and keep them out? Pre-emergent versus post-emergent, why crabgrass timing follows soil temperature, and why a thick lawn is the best weed control there is. Lawn problems · 6 min read
- How can you tell if your lawn is compacted? The warning signs of compacted clay soil, why it happens so often in Northern Virginia, and what actually fixes it. Lawn problems · 4 min read
- Should you renovate your lawn with sod or fix it with treatments? How to tell whether your lawn needs new sod or can be brought back with seeding and a lawn program, what each costs, and how long each takes. Lawn problems · 6 min read
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