WEED ID · ANNUAL OR BIENNIAL BROADLEAF

Cudweed

Also called Wandering cudweed, purple cudweed, shiny cudweed, narrowleaf cudweed

A fuzzy, gray-green broadleaf that pops up in thin turf. Several kinds grow in Texas, and they all look woolly.

When you’ll see it: Mid-spring to early summer, sometimes early fall

Wandering cudweed standing up in a lawn, with narrow gray-green fuzzy leaves and small clusters of woolly flower heads along the stem — Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0

How to spot it

Leaves look gray-green or whitish and feel fuzzy
Underside of the leaf is white and woolly
Starts as a low rosette of leaves
Small clusters of flower heads on upright stems
Shows up in thin, open turf and bare spots

Why it shows up

Cudweed moves into open, thin turf and disturbed ground. Some kinds are winter annuals, some are summer annuals, and some live two years. Thick, healthy turf is the best way to keep it from getting started.

How we treat it

We use a pre-emergent timed to the season to cut down on new seedlings. For plants already up, we spot treat with a product labeled for your grass type. We also fertilize to thicken the turf, which leaves less open soil for cudweed.

What you can do

Pull small plants before they flower.
Mow at the right height for your grass type and fill in thin spots.
Call us when you first see fuzzy gray rosettes.

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? 817-382-1722

Licensed applicator, Texas Department of Agriculture · License #0984138