Weeds come in all colors and sizes, but patches of red weeds peeking through the blades of green grass are unmistakable.
While they may be colorful, they are still weeds that compete with your grass for water, nutrients, and sunlight.
In this post, we’ll discuss common red weeds that frequently appear in lawns, how to identify them, and how to remove them effectively.
1. Red Sorrel (Rumex acetosella)
- Local Name: Field sorrel, Sour weed, and Sheep sorrel
- Family: Polygonaceae
- Annual or Perennial: Perennial
Red sorrel is a low-growing perennial herb that reaches about 18 inches tall. It produces green velvety, arrow-shaped leaves and reddish stems that turn entirely red in poor soil. Sheep sorrel also produces small female reddish flowers on thin stalks that turn into red achene fruits.
The weed often attacks compacted or neglected lawns and is difficult to eradicate because of its creeping rhizomes.
It is native to:
- Europe
- Southwestern Asia
Removal Methods
- Cultural control: Proper maintenance of turf through consistent mowing and judicious fertilizer applications will discourage red sorrel growth.
- Mechanical control: Pull the weeds when the plants are young.
- Chemical control: Spot spray actively growing weeds using selective herbicides like triclopyr, 2,4-D, or MCPP for effective control.
2. Redstem Filaree (Erodium cicutarium)
- Local Name: Redstem stork’s bill, Common stork’s bill, or Pin weed.
- Family: Geraniaceae
- Annual or Perennial: Annual or Biennial
Redstem filaree is a herbaceous winter annual or warm-climate biennial 2-3 feet tall or long. It has compound, hairy, fern-like leaves with a reddish hue along the veins.
The weed also presents erect or prostrate stems that are sometimes red. Redstem stork’s bill can be located in thin or patchy lawns.
It is native to:
- Europe
- North and Northeast Africa
- Temperate Asia
Removal Methods
- Mechanical control: Pulling is effective if implemented before the plants develop fruits.
- Chemical control: Apply selective herbicides such as 2,4-D, dicamba, or aminopyralid + metsulfuron.
3. Creeping Red Fescue (Festuca rubra)
- Local Name: Red fescue or Rush leaf fescue
- Family: Poaceae
- Annual or Perennial: Perennial
Although a turf grass itself, creeping red fescue can also become a weed in lawns. It is a fine-textured perennial grass that grows up to 7 inches tall.
The grass has thin grass blades with a reddish hue, visible especially in spring and fall. The rhizome-spreading red fescue is commonly found in cool-season lawns and shady areas but can also form clumps in certain lawn types.
It is native to:
- North America
- Mexico
Removal Methods
- Mechanical control: Dig up the grass and dispose of the rhizomes correctly to prevent regrowth.
4. Spotted Spurge (Euphorbia maculata)
- Local Name: Prostrate spurge or Sand mat
- Family: Euphorbiaceae
- Annual or Perennial: Annual
Spotted spurge is a common weed of late-seeded, thinning, or poorly maintained lawns. The mat-forming weed has reddish stems and small green leaves often marked with a dark red spot in the center.
Since spotted spurge has little to no seed dormancy and flowers at a young age, it is extremely fast-spreading and can take over large patches of lawn if left unchecked.
It is native to:
- Eastern North America
Removal Methods
- Cultural control: Improving turf density through regular mowing and timely fertilization will help reduce the weed population.
- Mechanical control: Hand-pulling the weeds can be effective for small infestations.
- Chemical control: Apply herbicides like 2,4-D, dicamba, or MCPP for larger and more mature infestations.
Lead Editor for Insight Weeds.