Longspine Sandbur

Found in:

• Lawns and landscape beds

Characteristics:

• Annual grass that grows best during warm temperatures (summer)
• Coarse-textured, light green, clump-forming plant
• Stems (tillers) grow along the ground before turning upward in mature plants
• Stems may root at joints (nodes) where they touch the ground
• Leaf blades are light green, flattened, sometimes coiled and may be rough to the touch
• Flower stalks are coarse and wiry with swollen nodes (joints)
• Spike-like flowers consist of several round, hairy, upward pointing burs
• Roots are fibrous; no underground stems (rhizomes) produced

Significance

• Increase moisture to favor desired lawn grasses as this plant thrives in warm, dry sites
• Maintain minimum 2 1/2 -3” mowing height and good turfgrass density
• Causes mouth blisters in horses

Plants that look similar:

• Yellow Foxtail
• Large Crabgrass (before flowering)

More information and control options for Longspine Sandbur