Grassy Weeds - St Augustine Lawn - Crowfootgrass
BES-TEX WEED ID GUIDE · GRASSY WEEDS
Crowfootgrass
Dactyloctenium aegyptium
Common Name
Crowfootgrass
Latin Name
Dactyloctenium aegyptium (L.) P. Beauv.
Family
Poaceae
Life Cycle / Type
Annual · Grass
What Is It?
Crowfootgrass is an annual grass that can root at the nodes. It is best identified by its seedhead, which looks zipper-like: 2 to 5 fingers radiate from a central point at the stem tip, and the tips of the spikelets look like claws, resembling a crow’s foot.
Leaf Shape Identification (Quick ID)
Crowfootgrass (Dactyloctenium aegyptium)
- Leaf tip: [PLACEHOLDER]
- Row of hairs sticking out from the leaf edge on the lower part of the blade
- Ligule is a membrane with a fringe of hairs
- Roots at the nodes
- Zipper-like seedhead of 2 to 5 fingers from one point
One-Sentence Counter Script“If the seedhead fingers look like a zipper and end in claw-like tips, it is crowfootgrass.”
Soil Temperature & Germination
Crowfootgrass is a summer annual that comes up from seed.
[PLACEHOLDER]
Germination soil temperature is not stated in the cited sources.
Late March through July
Summer annual grass weeds germinate in this window, depending on location (NC State)
Decision Question
Is the crowfootgrass visible above the soil right now?
Why This Weed Comes Back
[PLACEHOLDER]
Thin turf that seedlings fill in
Bare spots left when winter weeds die out in spring
Learn the Basics
A healthy, thick lawn is the best defense against weeds.