Witchgrass

Panicum capillare

Witchgrass is an annual grassy weed that is also known as Tickle-grass, Witches-hair or by its scientific name, Panicum capillare. This lawn weed can produce a seed head that\'s half the length of the entire plant.

Identify

Bunch

Hairy

Rolled

Witchgrass can be identified as a coarse, tufted, hairy, annual grassy weed that seeds heavily in the fall. It has a continuous collar that is broad and hairy, and its densely hairy sheaths are slightly compressed and purplish in color. This lawn weed has flat, sharply pointed blades that are densely covered in hair. Witchgrass includes a seed head made up of a spreading, densely seeded panicle. This seed head can sometimes grow to be half the length of the entire plant.

Life Cycle

This lawn weed is primarily found growing in croplands, gardens, lawns and landscaping. Witchgrass is distributed throughout much of North America. These grassy weeds are also annuals, meaning they live for only one season and are typically easy to control because they lack the complex underground structures needed to spread new plant growth through creeping roots. Still, annuals produce tons of seeds that can infest and dominate your yard under the right conditions.

Control

The length and spreading nature of its panicle allows Witchgrass to distribute itself by seeds over a large area, making cultural weed control methods—such as hand-pulling lawn weeds or proper watering and mowing—unproductive. For effective weed removal, professionally selected and applied weed control treatments are your best bet for eradication.