Broomsedge

What it looks like

Grows in clumps with flattened, hairy leaf sheaths. In fall and winter the mature leaves turn light tan to orange and stand upright, and it puts up an orange-ish seed head that makes it easy to spot as bright clumps across the yard.

Often mistaken for: Other upright bunchgrasses; most recognizable by its orange-tan fall/winter color

When it shows up in the Triangle

It's a perennial, so it's around all year, but it's most noticeable and easiest to identify from fall through winter when it turns that orange-tan color.

Where you’ll see it

Shows up in home lawns, especially thin or struggling turf growing in poor, dry, or acidic, low-fertility soil.

What you can do

• Get a soil test to see where your pH and nutrients stand
• Add lime if your soil is too acidic
• Correct fertility based on your soil test results
• Overseed or thicken up your lawn once the soil is corrected
• Keep up with regular mowing and good lawn care to help thicker turf compete