When spring rolls around here in Arizona, weeds will start actively growing. To ensure your grass is in tip-top health at the start of the growing season, you need to keep an eye out for crabgrass, bur clover, goathead, and pigweed. These weeds love the spring season and will continue to spread on your turf in the summer and fall. Aside from competing with your turf for nutrients during a critical time for its growth, these relentless weeds can also destroy your curb appeal. Keep reading to learn more about these weeds so you can properly identify them and take action right away.
Crabgrass is an invasive weed that thrives on bare areas on your lawn. This annual weed germinates in the spring, grows actively throughout the summer and fall seasons, then goes dormant when the winter season rolls around. If you notice an unusual-looking "grass" on your lawn with stems growing close to the ground and spreading from a center point, you might be looking at crabgrass.
You want your lawn to be free from crabgrass because of its unappealing appearance. With stems resembling crab legs, it can tarnish your lawn's aesthetic. Your grass will find the summer season in Arizona stressful, but crabgrass is different. Instead of slowing down its growth, this opportunistic weed remains thriving even in harsh heat.
Often confused by property owners as a desirable plant due to its bright yellow flowers, goathead is a broadleaf weed that you need to look out for. Luckily, distinguishing goathead is easy. Its stems create dense mats with hairy leaves growing opposite each other. Goathead loves Arizona's hot and dry summer! It starts germinating around April and can produce up to 5,000 seeds in one growing season. These seeds can remain dormant in the soil for up to 5 years, making goathead tough to control. This weed has strong weeds that are difficult to remove, so you may want to look into signing up for a professional weed removal service if you notice this weed popping up on your lawn.
Goathead is also called puncturevine because of its sharp spines!
Bur clover is another spring weed you need to be cautious about because it can quickly take over your lawn if not controlled. The tell-tale sign that you have bur clover on your lawn is its serrated green leaves that grow from reddish-purple stems. This weed is problematic because of the way it propagates. It produces yellow flowers in the spring and sets seeds in the fall. These seeds are resilient because they can remain dormant for several years, only to be activated by the right soil moisture.
The best way to control bur clover is to prevent it from seeding. Pre-emergent weed control treatments will do the trick! However, weed control should be consistent to effectively eliminate this weed from your turf.
Another notorious weed that can ruin your lawn's appearance is pigweed. This is a member of the Amaranth plant family and loves the heat in Arizona. It's easy to spot this weed because it grows upright. When they emerge in the spring, you'll notice that their lower stems are stout and smooth, while the upper part of the plant is hairy. There are various kinds of pigweed, and it's possible that your lawn can have two kinds of them at once. Here are the common kinds of pigweed you might encounter:
Keeping your lawn free from weeds is essential if you want your lawn to thrive. At Little John's Lawns, we offer weed control services that will eliminate common weeds in Arizona like crabgrass, bur clover, pigweed, and goathead. Our team serves commercial, residential, and HOA properties in Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa, AZ and nearby areas. Call our lawn care experts today at to schedule!
Welcome to Little John’s Lawns! We are a family-owned company that specializes in providing professional lawn maintenance, lawn care, pest control, and irrigation services in Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa, and Queen Creek, AZ.