Plant · GBIF taxon 5289972
Hairy Crabgrass
Digitaria sanguinalisAlso known as Large Crabgrass, Hairy Finger-grass, Purple Crabgrass, Polish Millet
Hairy crabgrass forms dense, creeping mats by sending out decumbent stems that root at the nodes wherever they touch moist earth. Its finger-like seed heads produce thousands of viable seeds that remain dormant in the soil bank for years, waiting for warm summer sun. Historically cultivated as a grain crop across parts of Europe, it now thrives as a resilient, widespread weed in turf and agricultural fields.
Annual GrassTurf WeedWarm-Season
1 / 7—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Photosynthetic
Predators
- Livestock
- Songbirds
- Grasshoppers
ThreatsHerbicides, hand-pulling, lawn shading
HabitatsLawns, gardens, pastures, cultivated fields, roadsides
Life spanAnnual
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyPoaceae
- SpeciesDigitaria sanguinalis
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Identification: Look for hairy leaf sheaths and finger-like flower spikes radiating from a stem tip.
- Lawn Management: Pull plants early in summer before sprawling stems root at nodes and drop seed.
Competitor (c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman · cc-by-sa
Frequent Companion Close Relative Close Relative
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