Henbit, chickweed, Bermudagrass — if you live in central Texas, you might have already dealt with those pesky weeds in your lawn or garden. In this article, we’ll explore the most common weeds in central Texas, including broadleaf weeds, grassy weeds, and sedges.
In this article, we’ll focus on the area from Hill County to Fayette County and from San Saba County to Madison County. If you’re interested in learning more about Texas weeds, you can find the most common weeds for the entire state in our article: “The Most Common Weeds in Texas.”
Let’s dive in:
Broadleaf weeds
Carolina geranium
Behaving as a winter annual or biennial weed, Carolina geranium (Geranium carolinianum L.) is a native herbaceous plant that can take over lawns of central Texas. Growing semi-erect to erect, its stems have a pink-to-red color, contrasting with its bright green leaves.
Visit our article on how to get rid of weeds in grass to learn the many ways you can eliminate this pesky weed from your turf.
Henbit
Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) is one of the most common central Texas weeds, showing up in garden beds and lawns in the region. This winter annual is easy to identify by its square stem and upper leaves that encircle it. Additionally, henbit produces characteristic tiny purple flowers that stand out against the green.
Henbit loves shady and moist areas. You can get rid of henbit by hand-pulling the weeds or growing ground covers under trees, bushes, or in other shady areas.
Spotted spurge
Spotted spurge (Euphorbia maculata), also known as spotted sandmat, is a summer annual that grows close to the ground. The leaves have an elliptic shape and a purple spot in the middle. Another way to identify this weed is to cut one of its stems — if it releases a milky sap, it’s spotted spurge.
You can get rid of spurge weeds by hand-pulling or applying a post-emergent herbicide once the weeds have sprouted. Pre-emergent herbicides can also be used to prevent spotted spurge from germinating.
Pro Tip: Learn more about how to apply post-emergent herbicides in our guide: “How and When to Apply Post-Emergent Herbicides.”
Ragweed
One of the most allergy-inducing weeds in central Texas, ragweed (Ambrosia sp.) is a broadleaf weed that grows in disturbed areas and rangelands across the state. Its fern-like leaves are easy to see amid the turfgrass (if your nose has not already caught the hay fever its pollen induces).
Ragweed has shallow roots that make it easy to hand-pull when spotted. But because herbicides are not very effective against ragweed, if you’re dealing with a large infestation, your best bet is to call a lawn care pro.
Catchweed bedstraw
One of central Texas’s most problematic winter weeds, catchweed bedstraw (Galium aparine) smothers your desired plants or turf. Catchweed has a prostrate growth habit and long, narrow leaves with a broader tip.
Catchweed can also trigger skin rashes when in direct contact with skin, so when hand-pulling this weed, remember to wear protective gloves. You can avoid touching catchweed altogether by treating it with post-emergent herbicides.
Pro Tip: You can also prevent catchweed from germinating by applying pre-emergent herbicides. In our guide on how to apply pre-emergent herbicides, you can learn more about the topic.
Chickweed
Both common chickweed (Stellaria media) and mouse-ear chickweed (Cerastium vulgatum) are common in central Texas, invading lawns and gardens in the area. Both grow prostrate to the ground with bright green leaves. The best way to tell them apart is by looking at their stem: Common chickweed has a single line of hair on its stems, while mouse-ear stems are hairier.
Chickweed thrives under cool, wet soil conditions, emerging in the late fall and dying in late spring. Learn how you can manage this weed in our article: “What is Chickweed and How to Get Rid of It.”
Burclover
Burclover (Medicago polymorpha) is one of several clover species that cause problems on Texas turfgrasses. While white clover (Trifolium repens) is a perennial species, burclover is an annual. Burclover has leaves that are compound with three leaflets. Its flowers are tiny and yellow, blooming from March to May.
Its seed pods have a double row of spines, forming the bur that names this weed. In warm-season grasses, you can control burclover with pre-emergent herbicides. You can also apply our advice on how to get rid of clover to treat burclover on your lawn.
Grassy weeds
Goosegrass
Goosegrass (Eleusine indica) is a clumpy, grass-like summer annual that is a true nuisance for lawns in central Texas. Also known as silver crabgrass, goosegrass has a characteristic white color in its center. Its strong roots can infiltrate high-traffic, compacted soils, which is where goosegrass usually appears.
Goosegrass tolerates low mowing heights, and when mature, its leaves are very difficult to mow. You can treat goosegrass with pre-emergent herbicides. In Bermudagrass lawns, it can be controlled with post-emergent herbicides as well.
Bermudagrass
A fast-growing warm-season grass, Bermudagrass is among the best turfgrasses for central Texas. But its aggressive growth habit has its downsides: It easily invades lawns and garden beds, acting as a weed.
You can treat Bermudagrass by raising your mowing height (since it does not tolerates shade) or by applying our tips on how to control grassy weeds.
Dallisgrass
Dallisgrass (Paspalum dilatatum) is a grassy perennial weed that is hard to control due to its aggressive, clump-forming rhizomes. Growing 12 to 48 inches tall, dallisgrass grows even faster than Bermudagrass, increasing your need to mow.
Dallisgrass is mainly treated through post-emergent herbicides, but the use of pre-emergents can also be helpful for St. Augustine and centipedegrass lawns.
Sedges
Nutsedge
Yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus) and purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus) are in the sedge family, a group of weeds that resemble grass. Nutsedges are identified by their characteristic triangular stems.
Purple and yellow nutsedges are fast-growing perennials that easily stand out on your turf. Usually, nutsedges are indicative of excessively moist soil. One of the main ways to prevent this weed is by aerating the lawn to improve soil drainage. See the best time to do so in our guide: “When to Aerate Your Lawn in Texas.”
Pro Tip: Learn more ways to eliminate nutsedge in our article on how to identify and get rid of nutsedge in your lawn.
Learn more about Texas lawn care
If you’d like to dive into our lawn and gardening tips, know that we have other helpful articles for Texas homeowners:
- The Best Time to Plant Grass Seed in Texas
- When to Dethatch Your Lawn in Texas
- When to Fertilize Your Lawn in Central Texas
- The Best Lawn Fertilizers for Texas
- Bermudagrass Maintenance Calendar for Texas
- St. Augustinegrass Maintenance Calendar for Texas
- Zoysiagrass Maintenance Calendar for Texas
When to call a pro
Tired of dealing with pesky weeds in your yard? Luckily, we can help you out. We have experienced and knowledgeable lawn care pros in Austin, Killeen, and throughout Texas. Get in touch with a Texas lawn care pro today to have your lawn free from weeds.
Main Photo Credit: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 4.0
