It spreads over existing turf by stolons and forms dense patches. The stems are long, slender, and wiry with prominent nodes. Ligules are short, membranous, and jagged. The leaf blades have long hairs at the margins but do not possess auricles. Seedheads are long, slender, and inconspicuous.
Nimblewill grows rapidly during the warm summer months and turns brown or tan in winter.
Orchardgrass is a bunch-type perennial grass weed that forms light green clumps in lawns. The sheaths of orchardgrass are strongly compressed and flattened. Other features of orchardgrass are the long, membranous ligule and the open-panicle seedheads. This species is a perennial weed that has a strong garlic or onionlike odor when cut. It is one of the first weeds to emerge in early spring.