- Broadleaf weeds<\/a>
- Purslane<\/a><\/li>
- Annual sowthistle<\/a><\/li>
- Dandelion<\/a><\/li>
- Western ragweed<\/a><\/li>
- Pigweed<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Grassy weeds<\/a>
- Bermudagrass<\/a><\/li>
- Prairie spiderwort<\/a><\/li>
- Johnsongrass<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Sedges<\/a>
- Nutsedge<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Learn more about Texas lawn care<\/a><\/li><\/ul> \t\t\t<\/div> \t\t<\/div><\/div>
Broadleaf weeds<\/span><\/h2>
Purslane<\/span><\/h3>
![\"Yellow](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/28842193977_227d7ee169_c-1.jpg\")
Andreas Rockstein<\/a> | Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure> Purslane (Portulaca oleracea<\/em>), also known as little hogweed, grows in temperate, warm climates and can act as an aggressive lawn weed in west Texas. Its succulent leaves have a tear-like shape, contrasting with the reddish-brown stems that grow prostrate to the ground. Purslane also produces characteristic small yellow flowers. <\/p>
Purslane can be difficult to deal with because, besides spreading prolifically from seed, it also grows from stem and root fragments. To get rid of purslane<\/a>, you can try hand-pulling the weed in its entirety or use a pre- or post-emergent broadleaf herbicide. (Note: Purslane also has an important role as a medicinal plant, so think twice before you spray.)<\/p>
Pro Tip: <\/strong>Purslane can resemble a few spurge species. Learn how to differentiate each one in our article: \u201c<\/strong>How to Tell Purslane and Spurge Apart<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>
Annual sowthistle<\/span><\/h3>
![\"close](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Sonchus_February_2008-2-1.jpg\")
Alvesgaspar<\/a> | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure> Also known as common sowthistle (Sonchus oleraceus<\/em>), this winter annual has spiny leaf margins. However, common sowthistle is still softer to the touch than its cousin, spiny sowthistle (Sonchus asper<\/em>). Annual sowthistle releases a milky sap from its stem when cut, differentiating it from other sowthistle species.<\/p>
Annual sowthistle has a shallow taproot, making it easy to pull by hand. You can also apply a pre-emergent herbicide to prevent germination and a post-emergent broadleaf herbicide to control established plants.<\/p>
Pro Tip: <\/strong>We have a comprehensive guide on types of pre-emergent herbicides<\/a> so you can choose the right one for you.<\/p>
Dandelion<\/span><\/h3>
![\"Dandelion](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/1024px-2019-04-25_159_Taraxacum_officinale_common_dandelion_at_Haltgraben_Frankenfels_Austria.jpg\")
GT1976<\/a> | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure> Another common lawn weed in west Texas, dandelion (Taraxacum officinale<\/em>) is easily identifiable by its bright yellow flowers with ray-like petals. The leaves are deeply lobed, and because of the lobes\u2019 tooth-like appearance, the French named this perennial \u201cdent de lion<\/em>\u201d (lion\u2019s tooth).<\/p>
Dandelions are one of the most troublesome weeds to get rid of, as they have extensive root systems and easily spread seeds through their \u201cpuffball\u201d seedheads. Applying a broadleaf post-emergent herbicide might be your best option to get rid of dandelions. Read our guide on how to treat dandelions in your yard<\/a> to learn more.<\/p>
Western ragweed<\/span><\/h3>
![\"close](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/1600px-Ambrosia_psilostachya_2018-07-22_6908-1.jpg\")
Salicyna<\/a> | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure> Also known as perennial ragweed or cuman ragweed, western ragweed (Ambrosia psilostachya<\/em>) is native to many Texas counties, including some in the western part of the state. This warm-season weed has thick and bristly leaves. Ragweed\u2019s pollen causes hay fever and other allergic respiratory symptoms.<\/p>
Western ragweed has shallow roots that make it easy to hand-pull. But because this plant is resistant to herbicides, if you\u2019re dealing with a large ragweed infestation, contact a lawn care pro<\/a>.<\/p>
Pigweed<\/span><\/h3>
![\"closeup](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1024px-Amaranthus_spinosus_1250235035.jpg\")
Dinesh Valke<\/a> | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure> Twenty-three recorded pigweed species (Amaranthus<\/em> sp.) are currently found in Texas. Redroot pigweed (A. retroflexus<\/em>) and Palmer amaranth (A. palmeri<\/em>) are native to west Texas while tumbleweed (A. albus<\/em>) and prostrate pigweed (A. blitoides<\/em>) were introduced to the region. This summer annual grows from a deep taproot and forms dense, upright tubular flower clusters.<\/p>
Pigweed usually occurs in newly established lawns, when the turf is still thin. Routine mowing and improving turf density are the best ways to treat this weed. Our article on how to get thick grass<\/a> can help achieve a healthy and dense turf that will compete with pigweed.<\/p>
Grassy weeds<\/span><\/h2>
Bermudagrass<\/span><\/h3>
![\"Bermuda](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/bermudagrass-1.jpeg\")
tammykayphoto<\/a> | Adobe Stock | License<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure> A popular grassy weed in Texas, Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon<\/em>) is also commonly used as turf due to its resistance to traffic and low mowing heights. Considered one of the most troublesome weeds in local crops, Bermudagrass grows aggressively and can easily invade and out-grow your desired turf.<\/p>
If Bermudagrass has taken over your lawn or garden beds, check out our guide on how to identify and control grassy weeds<\/a> for advice.<\/p>
Prairie spiderwort<\/span><\/h3>
![\"Prairie](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/49777229688_68fe8cbfa5_c-1.jpg\")
Amy Washuta<\/a> | Flickr | Public Domain<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure> Prairie spiderwort (Tradescantia occidentalis<\/em>) is an herbaceous, grass-like perennial that is also typically grown as an ornamental in prairie or native gardens in west Texas. However, spiderwort can easily end up spreading from your garden bed to your lawn. What differentiates prairie spiderwort from other grassy weeds is its flowers that bloom in pink, blue, or magenta.<\/p>
You can learn more about getting rid of perennial weeds in our guide: \u201cHow to Control Annual Weeds vs. Perennial Weeds<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>
Johnsongrass<\/span><\/h3>
![\"closeup](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Johnsongrass-1.jpg\")
Daniel VILLAFRUELA<\/a> | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure> Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense<\/em>) is a perennial grassy weed that grows in clumps, forming chunks of erect, coarsely textured grass on your lawn. This weed spreads rapidly, growing broad leaves that can reach up to 7 feet tall if not controlled. These clumps of tall grass crowd out your turf and stand out among the desirable grass, making your lawn look unkempt.<\/p>
A good strategy to fight this weed is close and frequent mowing, which johnsongrass does not tolerate. Additionally, post-emergent herbicide applications can help when done in the fall, while the grass is not yet completely established. <\/p>
Learn more about the right time to apply post-emergent weed control in our article: \u201cWhen to Apply Post-Emergent Herbicides<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>
Sedges<\/span><\/h2>
Nutsedge<\/span><\/h3>
![\"Purple](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/1024px-Cyperus_rotundus_in_Kadavoor-2-1.jpg\")
\u00a9 2009 Jee & Rani Nature Photography<\/a> | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure> Common in the westernmost counties of Texas, yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus<\/em>) and purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus<\/em>) are perennial weeds that spread prolifically throughout your yard. Both species are in the sedge family, a type of weed that resembles grass and has a characteristic triangular stem.<\/p>
Nutsedge (or nutgrass) is a challenging weed to manage. Luckily, we have a complete guide on how to identify and get rid of nutsedge in your lawn<\/a> where you can find the best strategies to control this weed.<\/p>
Learn more about Texas lawn care<\/span><\/h2>
If you\u2019d like to learn more relevant information about gardening and lawn care in Texas, we have other articles that might be helpful to you:<\/p>
Lawn care:<\/strong><\/p>
- The Best Time to Plant Grass Seed in Texas<\/a><\/li>
- When to Aerate Your Lawn in Texas<\/a><\/li>
- When to Dethatch Your Lawn in Texas<\/a><\/li>
- When to Fertilize Your Lawn in West Texas<\/a><\/li>
- The Best Lawn Fertilizers for Texas<\/a><\/li>
- Bermudagrass Maintenance Calendar for Texas<\/a><\/li>
- St. Augustinegrass Maintenance Calendar for Texas<\/a><\/li>
- Zoysiagrass Maintenance Calendar for Texas<\/a><\/li> <\/ul>
When to call a pro <\/span><\/h2>
Dealing with lawn weeds can be a tricky endeavor. But you don\u2019t have to do it all by yourself. We have experienced lawn care professionals in El Paso<\/a> and throughout Texas who are eager to help. Contact a lawn care pro<\/a> today and take a step towards a weed-free lawn.<\/p>
\t\t\t\t\t\tSources:<\/p> \t\t\t
<\/span><\/div> \t\t<\/div> \t\t\t- Texas A&M AggieTurf – Turfgrass Weeds<\/a><\/li>
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Plants of Texas Rangelands<\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <\/div> \t\t<\/div> <\/div>
Main Image Credit: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT<\/a> | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY 3.0<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Purslane, dandelion, and Bermudagrass are some of the most common west Texas weeds. Read to learn more about these and other common weeds of the region.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":99,"featured_media":33159,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[183],"tags":[1172,1026,1025,1028,1027,1030],"class_list":["post-33139","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-texas","tag-lawn-care-abilene-tx","tag-lawn-care-amarillo-tx","tag-lawn-care-el-paso-tx","tag-lawn-care-lubbock-tx","tag-lawn-care-midland-tx","tag-lawn-care-odessa-tx"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/0_Tradescantia_occidentalis_-_Samoens_1-1.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Teresa Joaquim","author_link":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/author\/teresa-joaquim\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33139","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/99"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33139"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33139\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33159"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33139"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33139"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33139"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Plants of Texas Rangelands<\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <\/div> \t\t<\/div> <\/div>
- When to Aerate Your Lawn in Texas<\/a><\/li>
- Learn more about Texas lawn care<\/a><\/li><\/ul> \t\t\t<\/div> \t\t<\/div><\/div>
- Prairie spiderwort<\/a><\/li>
- Annual sowthistle<\/a><\/li>
- Purslane<\/a><\/li>