Little barley is a winter annual grass with bristly, barley-like seed heads that appear in spring in thin or dormant lawns.
- Scientific name
- Hordeum pusillum
- Type
- Winter annual grass
- Most visible
- March–May
How to Identify Little Barley
- Narrow, upright blades
- Bristly seed heads that look like small barley
- Common along edges and thin turf
- Dies in early summer
When It Shows Up in Oklahoma Lawns
Germinates in fall, grows over winter, and heads out in spring.
How to Control Little Barley
- Use a fall pre-emergent
- Mow before seed heads mature
- Keep turf thick with proper mowing height, watering, and feeding so seedlings can't establish