WEED ID · WINTER ANNUAL BROADLEAF
Carolina geranium
Also called Cranesbill, Carolina cranesbill
A winter weed with deeply cut leaves and pink or white flowers. It shows up in thin lawns in spring and drops seed that sprouts again in fall.
How to spot it
- Leaves are deeply lobed, and each lobe is cut again
- Stems are pink to red and grow upright or leaning
- Small white to lavender flowers, mostly in April and May
- Seed pods have a long, pointed beak, like a crane's bill
- Starts as a rosette of leaves close to the ground
Why it shows up
Carolina geranium spreads by seed. The seed sprouts in fall, and the plant grows through winter and flowers in spring. It does best in thin, compacted, or weak turf.
How we treat it
Timing matters with winter weeds. We apply a pre-emergent in early fall, when the soil cools, before the seed sprouts. For plants already up, we spot treat while they are actively growing, in spring or fall, with a product labeled for your grass type. We also fertilize to thicken your turf.
What you can do
- Think fall. Stopping the seed in fall beats cleanup in spring.
- Pull small plants before they flower and make seed.
- Mow, water, and feed on a schedule to keep the lawn thick.
WANT IT HANDLED?
Let a licensed applicator take it from here.
Tell us about your lawn. We’ll get back to you with a free quote.
Prefer to talk? 817-382-1722Licensed applicator, Texas Department of Agriculture · License #0984138