Smooth crabgrass looks like large crabgrass but has hairless blades and stays lower to the ground. It's controlled the same way.
- Scientific name
- Digitaria ischaemum
- Type
- Summer annual grass
- Most visible
- June–September
How to Identify Smooth Crabgrass
- Smooth, hairless leaves, often purple-tinged
- Low, spreading growth
- Thin, finger-like seed heads
- Often shorter than large crabgrass
When It Shows Up in Oklahoma Lawns
Germinates in spring with large crabgrass and peaks in hot weather, especially in compacted or scalped areas.
How to Control Smooth Crabgrass
- Apply a pre-emergent before seeds germinate (late winter for summer annuals, early fall for winter annuals)
- Spot-treat with a selective herbicide labeled for the weed and safe for your grass type, following the label exactly
- Raise the mowing height in thin areas
- Keep turf thick with proper mowing height, watering, and feeding so seedlings can't establish