What are the prickly balls in my lawn?
This weed disperses prickly thorn balls that will give you a nasty surprise. Lawn burweed is a creeping weed that grows in your lawn. It’s an annual broadleaf weed that grows in thin and patchy turf, germinating in the fall and growing through the winter.
What kind of plants have prickles?
Technically speaking, many plants commonly thought of as having thorns or spines actually have prickles. Roses, for instance, have prickles. Raised prickles on the stem of Caesalpinia decapetala. Rose prickles.
What is the root system of perennial grasses?
Perennial grass most active during cool spring and fall seasons. By seeds and rhizomes, but primarily by underground tubers known as nutlets. Broadleaf perennial with a shallow taproot and fibrous, expansive root system.
What does grass look like?
Grass identification: 1 Grass color: dark blue-green 2 Blade shape: curly leaves that are 0.3” to 0.35” (8 – 9mm) wide 3 Growth habit: spreading growth due to runners (stolons) that form attractive turf with a thin growth More ...
What is the thorny grass in my yard?
The culprit is burweed or sticker weed (Soliva pterosperma), a cool-season annual weed that germinates in the fall as temperatures cool. It grows over the winter and flowers and produces seed pods in the spring. It is the seed pods that cause problems as they produce sharp spines as they mature.Jun 19, 2020
How do you get rid of Burweed grass?
The active ingredients of a three-way herbicide typically include the following three broadleaf weed killers: 2,4-D, dicamba, and mecoprop (MCPP). Products that contain a higher percentage of dicamba and mecoprop will more effectively control lawn burweed. 2,4-D controls this weed less well.Aug 20, 2021
What do you call the spiky things in grass?
Sandburs, also known as grassbur or sandspur, are an annual and/or perennial grass. The sharp, spiny burs are a seed pod that can latch on to passersby for distribution to other locations.Jun 9, 2021
What is another name for burweed?
Its common names include lawnweed, common soliva, Onehunga weed, and field burrweed. It is one of several plants known as bindi weed, bindii, or bindi-eye. Botanical synonyms include Soliva daucifolia Nutt.
Can you dig up burweed?
The problem is that if you kill the weed now, it will die, dry and hurt your feet even sooner. Therefore, the only way to get rid of the hurt this summer is to dig it up and remove it from the yard.Aug 21, 2019
What is a grass burr?
Grass bur, or field sandbur, is an annual grassy weed that often pops up in lawns. Most homeowners notice the infestation when they step on one of its pesky burs. There are methods for killing the grass bur plant, but that is no solace to your bare feet if the burs are already in the grass.
What is fire grass?
GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : Firegrass is a native, perennial, caespitose graminoid [3]. Culms are erect, 31 to 59 inches (80-150 cm) tall, and occur in small tufts.
What kind of grass has stickers?
Stickers or sticker weed come from burweed or sandbur—a lateral and low-growing grass like weed. These sand burrs germinate early in the fall and die sometime in spring. The seeds of sticker weeds go on to become stickers during spring.
Knowing What They Are
In dry states like Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, you have probably had to deal with prickly stickers in your lawn from time to time. If so, here are a few ways to get rid of grass burrs.
Ways to Get Rid of Grass Burrs
They struggle with competition. If you have a healthy, thick, and prosperous lawn, the burrs have a hard time spreading. Burrs don’t like to be watered very much and they can’t stand healthy lawns. So keep your lawn watered regularly.
Water Your Lawn Regularly
Keeping your lawn watered properly will go a long way to eliminating grass burrs. For North Texas lawns, we have created this guide to help keep a good watering schedule – click here for a Lawn Watering Guide
What herbicides are used to kill broad leaf weeds?
Spray your lawn with a postemergence herbicide containing the active ingredients of three broadleaf weed killers: 2,4-D, dicamba, and mecoprop (MCPP). Many brands of broadleaf herbicides on the shelf contain these ingredients.
When to use pre-emergence herbicide?
Again, another reason to use pre-emergence herbicides in the fall. Unfortunately, most people do not notice a lawn burweed problem until warmer temperatures arrive. However, waiting until spring is too late. If you delay until April or May to attempt lawn burweed control, you are fighting a losing battle.

Cool-Season Grasses in The North
Warm-Season Grasses in The South
- Bermuda
Bermuda grass is commonly found in the most southern regions of the United States (especially California). This type of grass tolerates not only extremely high temperatures, but it is also able to thrive in colder temperatures. Bermuda grass can healthily withstand being cut shorter than mos… - Zoysia
Zoysia grass is very prickly and has stiff leaf blades. It is commonly grown in the central United States and even in some Eastern regions, like North and South Carolina since Zoysia grass grows best when exposed to large amounts of sunlight. Zoysia grass grows at a prolonged rate, and ca…
Types of Ornamental Grass
- Ornamental grasses are typically only noticed for their appearance, instead of serving a function. You may choose to use ornamental grasses in your lawn if you live in an area that has frequent droughts since types of ornamental grass are drought-resistant and don’t require much moisture.