Goosegrass (Eleusine indica) is a common annual weed found in lawns, gardens, and high-traffic areas. As a summer annual grass, it germinates in the spring, grows throughout the warm season, and dies with the first frost. Goosegrass often thrives in compacted or poorly drained soils, competing with desirable turfgrass. Accurate identification relies on observing distinct physical markers that set it apart from other common weeds.
Distinctive Features of Goosegrass Leaves and Stems
The appearance of the leaves and the base of the plant provide one of the earliest and most reliable clues for identifying goosegrass. Its leaf blades are typically medium to dark green and emerge from the stem in a folded manner, a characteristic known as folded vernation. This folded nature gives the individual leaves a somewhat flattened look.
A closer look at the base of the plant reveals its most defining feature: a distinctly flattened stem with a silvery-white or pale green color. This coloration at the crown is so noticeable that the plant is sometimes referred to as “silver crabgrass.” The leaf sheaths, which wrap around the stem, are smooth and generally lack the dense hairs found on many other grassy weeds.
The stems themselves are also visibly flattened, contributing to the plant’s overall low-growing profile. This tough, flattened structure allows the plant to withstand low mowing heights. The leaves usually grow in a rosette pattern, radiating outward from this light-colored, central base.
The Characteristic Goosefoot Seed Head
Once the plant reaches maturity, the structure of its seed head becomes the most recognizable feature, giving the weed its common name. The seed head is a digitate arrangement, meaning the spikes radiate outward from a single point at the top of the flowering stalk, much like the toes of a goose’s foot.
A mature goosegrass plant typically produces between two and seven finger-like spikes, or racemes, that fan out. One spike is often positioned slightly lower than the others, but they all emerge from the same location on the stem. These spikes are notably thick and coarse compared to similar weeds.
The seeds are arranged in two dense, neat rows along one side of each spike, creating a distinctive pattern often described as a “herringbone” or “zipper” appearance. This arrangement allows the plant to produce a massive number of seeds, sometimes up to 50,000 per plant in a single season.
Growth Habit and Root System
Goosegrass exhibits a prostrate growth habit, especially when found in frequently mowed turfgrass. It forms a dense, low-to-the-ground mat or clump, with its stems and leaves spreading outward from the central crown. This prostrate nature allows the plant to escape the blades of a lawnmower and continue to produce seeds.
The plant develops a tough, fibrous root network that stems from a centralized crown. This dense rooting makes the weed extremely difficult to pull out by hand once established, particularly in the compacted soils it prefers. Unlike some other creeping grasses, goosegrass does not root at the nodes along its spreading stems.
How to Differentiate Goosegrass from Crabgrass
Goosegrass is frequently mistaken for crabgrass (Digitaria species), but several visual differences make distinguishing the two straightforward.
Base and Stem Structure
The most immediate distinction is the color and shape of the base of the plant. Goosegrass has a distinct silvery-white, flattened base, while crabgrass typically has a greener stem base that may sometimes be purple or reddish. The way the leaves are formed provides a useful difference for identification. Goosegrass leaves are folded in the bud, resulting in a flattened stem structure, whereas crabgrass leaves are rolled in the bud, leading to a rounder stem structure.
Hairs and Seed Heads
Large crabgrass is characterized by dense hairs on its leaves and stems, while goosegrass is mostly smooth, with hairs present only at the base of the leaf. Finally, the seed heads offer a clear separation point. The spikes on goosegrass are generally much thicker and emerge from a single point, forming the distinct goosefoot cluster. Crabgrass spikes are typically thinner and arise from different points along the top of the stem, not just a single central point.