Nutsedge vs Crabgrass: How Do They Differ?

While crabgrass and nutsedge are both common problem grass types that grow in much of the US, that’s where most of the differences stop. How these grasses grow and spread, as well as the type of grass that they are, is very different. Further, with all of these subtle differences, what you need to do to eradicate these types of grass will vary as well.

Nutsedge vs Crabgrass Differences (The Short Answer)

Crabgrass is a warm-season annual with blue-green foliage that spreads via seed. Crabgrass grows low to the ground and each leaf sheath will have small hairs growing along it. Nutsedge is a bright-green to yellow-green plant that grows straight up in bunches of 3 leaves. It’s also a warm-season perennial that spreads via “nutlets” and seeds.

How to Tell Nutsedge and Crabgrass Apart Definitively

There are at least half a dozen ways in which crabgrass is distinct from nutsedge and vice versa. Below are a few of these differences outlined and explained.

Flowers or Spikelets

One of the easiest ways to identify purple nutsedge or yellow nutsedge vs crabgrass is by letting the grass grow up and watching for flowers. If the stems that rise up are tall and produce flowers (aka spikelets) of either yellow or purple color, you’re looking at nutsedge. Crabgrass will not produce any notable flowers.

Annual vs Perennial

Crabgrass will not green up again once it has turned brown after a heavy frost as it is an annual. Nutsedge, on the other hand, will go dormant in the winter and green up or grow again from the same plant or root system as the previous year as it is a perennial.

Hairs on Leaf Sheath

Only crabgrass will have small hairs on its leaf sheaths.

Height and Growth Pattern

Nutsedge grows straight up and gets as high as 10” tall. Crabgrass may only get as tall as 4” when it sends up the stems its seeds will appear on. Further, crabgrass will spread out in a sort of network from the original sprout. Nutsedge will shoot up from underground tubers that may connect on the root level, but above ground, each clump will appear separate.

Root Strength

Another easy way to determine if you have nutsedge vs crabgrass is to pull up a clump of it. If the grass seems to be attached at multiple points and is difficult to uproot, then you have crabgrass. If there is only one point of contact with the ground and the plant uproots easily, you are looking at nutsedge.

More Similarities and Differences Between Crabgrass and Nutsedge

There is a lot to consider when you’re trying to identify a grass type. While the above descriptions can help walk you through the process, the bullet lists below can help you quickly rule out one or the other at a glance.

Similarities Between Nutsedge and Crabgrass

There are only a few strong similarities between nutsedge and crabgrass.

• Both nutsedge and crabgrass are quick to spread.
• Both nutsedge and crabgrass produce viable seeds.

Differences in Nutsedge vs Crabgrass

Crabgrass vs nutsedge is an easy comparison to make with all of these differences.

• Crabgrass has a rough, short stem while nutsedge has a smooth, long stem.
• Nutsedge produces flowers.
• Nutsedge leaves are grouped in bunches of 3 while crabgrass spreads out in a “wheel” or “star” pattern.
• Crabgrass grows laterally along the ground.
• Nutsedge produces tubers under the ground and shows up in distinct clumps.
• Nutsedge will survive over the winter while crabgrass will die completely.

Is How to Get Rid of Nutsedge Different Than Crabgrass?

When it comes to ways to eliminate problem grasses, is nutsedge the same as crabgrass? Will these two grass types respond to the same treatments? The short and definitive answer is that, no, crabgrass and nutsedge cannot be eliminated in the same way.

While both yellow nutsedge and purple nutsedge can be taken care of using herbicides that contain bentazon, halosulfuron, or sulfentrazone, none of these substances will have a lasting effect on crabgrass. Further, because nutsedge propagates with seed, as well as underground tubers called “nutlets”, you will need to use a combination of herbicide and pre-emergent to combat this weed.

Crabgrass, on the other hand, is a warm-season annual. This grass only spreads via seed and dies whenever there is a hard frost. Lacking a hard frost, crabgrass plants may die in extremely high heat or after a growth cycle of about 2 years. As the plants themselves are short-lived, a pre-emergent applied each spring as temperatures rise above 55F is all you need to prevent a crabgrass infestation. Healthy, thick sod can also prevent crabgrass from gaining a foothold.