Bull Paspalum

Paspalum boscianum

Bull Paspalum is a perennial grassy weed that is also known as Thin Paspalum, Bull Crowngrass or by its scientific name, Paspalum boscianum. This lawn weed is known for its unattractive clumping.

Identify

Bunch

Membranous

Rolled

Bull Paspalum can be identified as a thick grassy weed that forms unsightly clumps in lawns. It has a short ligule and narrow collar with smooth, loose sheaths and a prominent mid-vein. This lawn weed has flat blades that are wavy along the edges, which also have a prominent mid-vein. They are sparsely hairy along the edges and near the ligule and are tinged purple in color. Bull Paspalum flowers during warm months, producing small, inconspicuous white flowers.

Life Cycle

This grassy weed prefers sandy soils and open habitats and is typically found growing in disturbed or developed areas, dry sites and lawns. Bull Paspalum thrives mainly in the southeastern part of the United Sates. These perennial grassy weeds can germinate and spread from seeds, but they also produce a root structure (tubers, bulbs or corms) that can birth new weeds from your lawn’s surface (using stolons) or from underground (using rhizomes). Perennial grassy weeds live two or more years and have a deeper root structure that can give rise to new weeds—even if you no longer see the weeds in your lawn.

Control

Bull Paspalum is a common invader of disturbed or developed areas and frequently shows up in warm-season lawns and other landscaped areas. Because this grassy weed forms thick, dense clumps, it is difficult to remove using cultural methods—such as hand-pulling lawn weeds or proper watering and mowing—without creating bare patches in the turf. For weed removal, professionally applied weed control treatments are recommended for complete removal.