What image comes to mind when you hear the word “wheat”? For me, it’s The Gladiator movie as Maximus runs his hand through the wheat fields on his return home. Epically cool in the movie, not so cool when it’s happening in your front yard. Especially when you learn that this is probably not even true wheat, but weeds that look like wheat, and often with detrimental side effects to your lawn.

Most Common Weeds That Look Like Wheat

When you think of a weed that looks like wheat, it usually means that it has grassy leaves with an inflorescence or spiked seed head, and that is most probably the part of the plant that you are associating with wheat. Common examples are Foxtail grasses, Wild barley, Couch grass, Fingergrass, and Barnyard grass.

A Closer Look At Lawn Weeds That Look Like Wheat

Unfortunately, these next few copycat species that look a lot like wheat, are mostly invasive and can crowd out and suffocate your lawn grass. Although these look like they are meant to be growing in your garden at first glance, they are actually detrimental to your lawn’s overall health.

1) Giant Foxtail (Setaria faberi)

Giant Foxtail is characterized by leaves that have hairs on their upper surface but nothing on the leaf sheath. Its inflorescence is a fuzzy panicle resembling a foxtail, hence the name, that is held up on a smooth erect stem. This plant can reach 16 inches in overall height.

It is an invasive summer annual with a clump-forming growth habit. Originally from Asia and mistakenly introduced to America in the 1920s when it was mixed in with other food grain crops, it thrives in fertile soil. Other similar varieties are Foxtail millet, yellow foxtail, and green foxtail.

2) Wild Barley (Hordeum spontaneum)

Wild barley is an annual that grows throughout winter and seeds in spring. If you can identify it and keep it mowed short it won’t become a recurring problem as it has a quick life cycle and can be cut consistently to prevent it from forming seeds. The long ”hairs” on the seedheads can cause irritation to animals’ eyes, skin, gums and get tangled in their coats, so this is not a pet-friendly weed to have growing in your yard.

3) Quackgrass/Couch grass (Elytrigia repens)

Quackgrass is a cold-season invasive perennial. It has rhizomes that spread underground and can split into separate clumps. This means it spreads fast and is very hard to get rid of.

If you notice fast-growing clumps standing taller than your lawn, investigate the possibility of quackgrass. To positively identify it, look at the base of its stem, where the leaf starts, for two clasping finger-like projections that can be found, called auricles. Other than suffocating your beautiful lawn it does not pose a health risk to either you or your pets.

4) Feather Finger Grass (Chloris virgata)

Generally accepted to be native to America, it easily establishes itself as a weed in areas where it is not necessarily welcome. It aggressively invades bare and disturbed patches of ground and spreads easily along roadsides. It is a common weed in cultivated crops such as alfalfa, maize, and sorghum.

5) Barnyard Grass or Junglerice (Echinochloa colona)

Originally from Asia, this annual invasive grass has distinctive reddish-purple stalks bearing seed heads at the top. It grows by branching out from its base. It can commonly be found in grain crops, gardens, waterways, roadsides, or any other area when it can sneak in and establish itself. The grass’s upright panicles are green, often with a purple tinge, and the tip bends over when mature. Neatly 4-rowed racemes are characteristic.

It is found growing predominantly in damp, fertile soils and can withstand seasonal flooding. It grows in more tropical climates such as South Florida, Texas, and in South-Eastern California. The grass begins flowering at 3-4 weeks and reaches 2m in height, so don’t blink or it will be taking over your yard.

So What Problems Can Grassy Weeds Cause?

I am sure that many of you have seen these weeds growing in your lawn and wondered: Why not just leave them? Is this really something that should be causing me to panic?

They generally grow taller than grasses that have been specifically chosen as a lawn grass. This means your lawn will end up with uneven tuffs that need to be mowed more regularly. They are also typically hairy and have rough seed heads, getting caught in pets’ fur, causing skin irritation, and generally just not resulting in a lush, soft lawn that you want to walk over barefoot (there’s truly no better feeling than this!).

Removal Suggestions

Anything you use to kill grassy weeds will generally kill your lawn too. This makes getting rid of this particular weed type that much harder. You should either spray them with a post-emergent weedicide or pull them out, making sure you get all the roots too. The best method for application would be spot treatment with a paintbrush or an accurate jet spray, as you don’t want to kill your lawn grass with any weedicide drift.

Some Lawn Grasses Have a Wheat-Like Appearance Too

Some lawn grasses form wheat-like seed heads too and they aren’t bad news at all. Examples include Perennial ryegrass, Tall Fescue, and Kentucky Bluegrass. They are all cool-season perennial types of grass that originated from Europe and North Asia.

They are commonly used as turf grasses all year round in the cooler northern states, or as winter cover in the warmer southern states. These grasses are usually seeded over summer grasses, like Bermuda, which goes dormant in winter. This keeps the lawn looking green through the cooler winter months.

When they go to seed they have an erect panicle seed head, and although they are much smaller than those of wheat, there are similarities in their formation. Most people keep their lawns nice and short with regular mowing and so you may never notice the grass forming tiny wheat-like seed heads. But don’t be alarmed if you miss a few mowing sessions, let your lawn grow longer and seed these seed heads. It’s not a bad sign.

Summary

Like with most things, the best form of defense against lawn weeds is a good offense. In this case a thriving, healthy lawn. Any bare spots, or where the grass is growing sparsely, allows for weed seeds to settle and sprout.

With the correct watering and mowing schedule, your lawn should form a healthy dense mat that doesn’t allow for invasive grassy weeds to establish. However, if you see a tuft of grass growing taller than the rest of your lawn, or a slightly different color to it, or if you see it starting to form a wheat-like seed head, don’t hesitate to grab it and pull it out before it has the chance to reseed.