WEED ID · WINTER ANNUAL GRASS
Rescuegrass
Also called Rescue grass
A winter annual grass that sprouts in fall, grows through winter, and sets seed in spring. It is a common yard weed on thin or disturbed spots.
How to spot it
- Bunch of grass 1.5 to 3 feet tall in spring
- Drooping seedhead with flat, strongly flattened spikelets
- Fuzzy lower leaf sheaths, sometimes fuzzy leaf blades
- Papery, split ligule where the leaf meets the stem
- Green and growing while warm-season grass is dormant
Why it shows up
Rescuegrass seed sprouts in late summer to early fall. It grows through fall and winter, then sets seed and dies in spring. It does best on thin or disturbed ground, where the lawn can’t crowd it out.
How we treat it
Rescuegrass is an annual, so timing matters. We apply a pre-emergent in the early fall window, before the seed sprouts, for lawns that have had it before. If you plan to overseed with ryegrass, tell us first, because that changes the plan. For plants already up, we spot treat with a product labeled for your grass type.
What you can do
- Tell us before you overseed with ryegrass.
- Fill in bare and thin spots. This weed likes disturbed ground.
- Pull small clumps before they make seed in spring.
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