When you’re weeding, you want to be weeding, well, weeds. This can be a bit of a challenge if you’re faced with one of the many weeds that look like grass.
Lucky for you, it’s not too hard to tell the difference between grass and similar looking weeds. This list explains some of the most common weeds that look like grass that you might see in your yard and how to identify them.
Weeds That Look Like Grass
Crabgrass
As you might guess from the name, crabgrass looks a lot like regular grass. One of the main differences between crabgrass and the grass growing on your lawn is that it tends to grow in smaller clumps. It’s also much more coarse than regular lawn grass.
Annual Bluegrass
Annual bluegrass likes to grow under trees and in moist, shady areas. Bluegrass can cause aesthetic problems because when it dies, you’ll be left with an ugly bare spot on your lawn once the weather dries out!
Wild garlic
If you’re lucky, you might be surprised to learn that you have wild garlic, or even wild onions, spreading in your yard. The tops of these plants look a lot like tall grass, but these plants are a lot more smelly.
One of the easiest ways to detect these plants is by using your nose when you’re mowing your lawn. If you get a distinct whiff of onion or garlic, you can bet that you have some growing.
Nutsedge
Coach/quackgrass
Green Foxtail
Smooth Bromegrass
Bromegrass is another weed that can be difficult to differentiate between standard grass and many of the other weeds on this list.
Unfortunately, bromegrass can be a menace and you should keep an eye out for it. If you don’t catch it quickly, its roots will spread quickly across your lawn and be problematic to remove.