Click on image to enlarge. Large crabgrass , D. sanguinalis, is a widely distributed annual that germinates throughout the summer.
Seedlings sprout quickly, forming a clump with extensive roots where soil is moist.
Once established, it is difficult to weed out because it roots at the nodes. To differentiate the flowering stalk from that of bermudagrass , look for slender branches arising separately from the stalk. The large crabgrass seedling is pale green and covered with coarse hairs. It has a membranous ligule and no auricles with young leaves rolled in the bud. See UC IPM's Crabgrass Pest Note for more information.