Chamberbitter

What it looks like

An upright plant, usually a few inches to about two feet tall, with small oval leaflets lined up along each branch so it looks like a little mimosa or sensitive plant. Flip a branch over and you will see a row of tiny round seed pods hanging under the leaves like beads. That underside row of seeds is the giveaway.

Often mistaken for: Mimosa tree seedlings, partridge pea, or sensitive plant

When it shows up in the Triangle

It sprouts once the soil warms in late spring and keeps growing and dropping seed all summer into fall, especially in wet, humid stretches.

Where you’ll see it

Thin or overwatered lawns, mulched beds, and bare spots along edges, in both fescue and warm-season lawns.

What you can do

• Pull young plants before those bead-like seeds form under the leaves
• Keep the lawn thick so there is less bare soil for it to sprout in
• Water deeply and less often, since it loves constantly damp soil
• Keep 2 to 3 inches of mulch in beds
• Bag pulled plants once they have seeds instead of leaving them on the lawn