Scientific Name: Digitaria (Genus)

Common Names: Finger Grass, Fonio, Large Crabgrass, Smooth Crabgrass, Hair Crabgrass

Family: Poaceae

Brief Description: Long, thick, and tall, crabgrass is in the grass family, but grows in a thicker and less attractive pattern outward from a central point.

Related Weeds:

• Canary grass
• Dallisgrass
• Cupgrass
• Foxtail
• Knotgrass
• Lovegrasses and more

What is Crabgrass?

Crabgrass is a type of grass, but unlike lawn grass, crab grass tends to have an unattractive and mangled appearance. Crabgrass grows tall and quickly, sprouting large patches above your current lawn. Because of their thicker and larger appearance, crabgrass is easily noticeable and takes away from the beauty of lawns, which is why crabgrass is considered a weed rather than simply another type of lawn.

How to Prevent Crabgrass

Crabgrass tends to be more of a symptom of poor lawn development rather than its own weed. It is an annual plant, which means that each year it needs to replant itself and grow all over again. Thus if you can maintain a healthy lawn, through the use of aeration, seeding, fertilizer, and healthy watering/cutting, crabgrass is unlikely to take root and will not come back the following year.

However, if your lawn is weak or the following year you are unable to seed and fertilize your lawn quickly enough, the crabgrass may replant itself and grow.

Luckily, once crabgrass control starts it can be stopped with the right treatment and combination of solutions. Contact Green Lawn Fertilizing today to find out more about crabgrass control methods.

Need Help with Crabgrass?

Call today at and let's talk about how we can help you with Crabgrass and other Lawn Weed Library.