Annual Bluegrass

What it looks like

Bright yellow-green color that stands out from the rest of the lawn, with boat-shaped leaf tips. It puts up whitish seedheads even when mowed short, so you'll often notice little seed clusters low to the ground.

Often mistaken for: Other cool-season grasses or clumps of regular turfgrass before it seeds out

When it shows up in the Triangle

Most of it sprouts in early fall, from September into late October. It produces seedheads in spring, then dies out once the weather heats up in late spring.

Where you’ll see it

Shows up in all types of home lawns, but worst in areas that are compacted, shaded, poorly drained, or watered shallowly and often.

What you can do

• Water deeply but less often instead of frequent light watering
• Avoid mowing too short
• Improve drainage in soggy spots
• Reduce soil compaction
• Cut back shade where possible
• Hold off on aerating or dethatching in early fall when it's germinating