Identifying Creeping Lawn Weeds: 9 Common Weeds Taking Over Your Yard

Creeping lawn weeds are unwanted plants that spread sideways through stems, runners, or underground roots, often forming mats that blend into the surrounding turf. The most common culprits include broadleaf creepers such as Virginia buttonweed, dollarweed, and creeping Charlie; sedges such as kyllinga; and grassy weeds such as torpedograss, doveweed, signalgrass, and nimblewill.

If one part of your lawn suddenly looks a little “off,” the first challenge is figuring out whether you have a weed or simply a rough patch of grass. The difference may be a brighter shade of green, a strange seed head, a few tiny flowers, or stems that travel across the soil instead of growing upright.

This guide covers eight creeping weeds commonly found in US lawns, including the quickest ways to tell them apart and the most likely control methods. Identify the weed before reaching for an herbicide. That one step can save you time, money, and a patch of turf you never intended to spray.

What Makes a Weed “Creeping”?

A creeping weed spreads outward instead of staying in one neat clump. Some grow along aboveground runners called stolons. These stems may take root wherever they touch the soil. Others spread through rhizomes, which are underground stems capable of sending up new growth some distance from the original plant.

That growth habit gives creeping weeds two big advantages. They can quickly move into weak or bare areas, and they often stay low enough to survive mowing. Cutting the visible leaves may tidy things up for a few days, but it does not necessarily remove the network keeping the plant alive.

The sooner you identify a spreader, the easier it usually is to contain. Give it a full growing season, and that suspicious little patch may decide it has found permanent accommodation.

Is It a Weed or Just a Weird Patch of Grass?

Look closely before you treat anything. These clues can help:

• Leaf shape: Are the leaves round, scalloped, waxy, unusually wide, or pointed?

• Color: Does the patch look brighter, grayer, or more blue-green than your turf?

• Growth direction: Lift the foliage and look for runners traveling across the soil or stems rooting at the joints.

• Stem shape: Roll a stem between your fingers. Sedges often have triangular stems, while true grasses usually have round or flattened stems.

• Flowers or seed heads: Small flowers and unusual branching seed heads often make identification much easier.

• Seasonal timing: A patch that greens up later or turns brown earlier than the rest of the lawn may be a different grass species.

For a broader identification guide, take a look at weeds that look like grass.

Virginia Buttonweed

Virginia buttonweed (Diodia virginiana) is a mat-forming perennial broadleaf weed with dark green, waxy leaves, small white star-shaped flowers, and stems that root wherever they touch the soil.

The opposite leaves and four-petaled flowers are helpful identification clues, but its spreading stems are the real giveaway. Each joint, or node, can form roots. If you pull the plant and leave pieces behind, those fragments may start growing again.

Virginia buttonweed thrives in moist or poorly drained ground and is especially troublesome in St. Augustinegrass, centipedegrass, and tall fescue lawns. Its presence is often worth treating as a drainage clue, not just a weed problem.

How Do You Get Rid of Virginia Buttonweed?

This is genuinely one of the toughest lawn weeds. The waxy leaf surface can limit herbicide absorption, while the underground and creeping growth helps the plant recover. Treatment generally works best when plants are small and actively growing, commonly from late spring into early summer. Repeat applications may be needed.

For warm-season turf, the Celsius and Certainty Herbicide Kit may be compatible with grass types. In labeled cool-season turf, a mesotrione product such as Tenacity may be an option. Always confirm that both the weed and your exact turf species appear on the current product label.

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Read the full guide on how to get rid of Virginia buttonweed before planning a treatment program.

Torpedograss

Torpedograss (Panicum repens) is a creeping perennial grass with stiff, gray-green leaves and sharp, torpedo-shaped underground rhizomes.

Above ground, the blades tend to look duller, coarser, and more upright than desirable turf. Below ground, the pointed rhizome tips make the identification much clearer. Those rhizomes can travel through the soil and regenerate from small pieces.

That is why digging, chopping, or tilling an established patch can backfire. Unless every piece is removed, mechanical work may simply divide one plant into a collection of future plants.

What Torpedo Grass Herbicide Works?

Torpedograss usually takes repeated treatment over more than one growing season. Non-selective active ingredients such as glyphosate may be used for careful spot treatment or renovation, but they will also injure desirable grass. Imazapyr is another non-selective option for certain labeled sites and can damage nearby plants through their roots, so it is not something to use casually on a lawn.

Quinclorac-based selective products, including Drive XLR8, may suppress or control torpedograss in certain labeled turf species. Results and turf tolerance vary, so check the current label rather than assuming “selective” means safe for every lawn.

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Related: Our detailed guide to killing torpedograss explains why persistence and correct timing matter so much with this one.

Creeping Charlie (Ground Ivy)

Creeping Charlie weed (Glechoma hederacea), also called ground ivy, is a low-growing perennial broadleaf weed with round, scalloped leaves, square stems, and small purple-blue flowers.

Crush a leaf, and you may notice a mint-like smell. That makes sense because the plant belongs to the mint family. It favors damp, shaded areas where turf is already thin, then spreads through stolons that root at the nodes and weave into a dense mat.

Its low growth lets it duck under mower blades. Pulling can help with a very small patch, especially in loose soil, but any rooted stem sections left behind may regrow.

What Is the Best Creeping Charlie Weed Killer?

A selective broadleaf herbicide is generally more useful than a grass or sedge product. Depending on the turf species and label, active ingredients such as triclopyr or combinations containing 2,4-D and dicamba may be effective. Triad Select 3-Way Herbicide is one store option for compatible turf.

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Applications made while the plant is actively moving energy toward its roots, often in the fall, can be particularly useful. More than one application may be necessary. Read our complete guide to getting rid of creeping Charlie for timing and turf-specific guidance.

Spurge

Spurge is a group of low-growing broadleaf weeds that form flat mats, produce tiny flowers, and release a milky sap when their stems are broken.

Spotted spurge (Euphorbia maculata) is one of the most common lawn types. It has small oval leaves, often with a reddish or purple spot in the center, and reddish stems that spread across the soil. Prostrate spurge (Euphorbia prostrata) looks similar and may develop a reddish-purple tint.

Both love hot weather and open ground. If spurge keeps appearing, look beyond the individual plants. Thin, drought-stressed, compacted, or closely scalped turf gives its seeds the light and space they need to germinate.

Wear gloves if you hand-pull it. The milky sap may irritate skin and eyes, and mature plants can drop plenty of seed while you are wrestling them into a bag.

Which Spurge Weed Killer Should You Use?

Prevention can be more reliable than chasing mature mats. Pre-emergent products containing prodiamine, dithiopyr, or indaziflam may help prevent spurge when applied at the correct time and used on labeled turf. Options include Prodiamine 65 WDG, Dimension, and Specticle® FLO.

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For emerged spurge, a compatible post-emergent broadleaf herbicide may be needed. Celsius WG can be useful in labeled warm-season lawns, while a three-way product such as Triad Select may suit certain cool- and warm-season grasses. 

See the best spurge weed killers for a fuller breakdown of pre- and post-emergent options.

Kyllinga

Kyllinga (Kyllinga spp.) is a mat-forming sedge with glossy, bright green, pointed leaves, three-sided stems, and rounded greenish-white seed heads.

It can look like an unusually vivid patch of fine grass until you examine the stem and seed head. Sedges are not true grasses. One old identification rule is “sedges have edges,” referring to the triangular stem you can often feel when you roll it between your fingers.

Kyllinga spreads through underground rhizomes and forms dense colonies, particularly in sunny areas with moist or poorly drained soil. Improving drainage and correcting overwatering will not remove an established patch on its own, but it will make the lawn less welcoming to the next one.

How Do You Kill Kyllinga?

Use a sedge-specific herbicide labeled for your turf rather than an ordinary broadleaf weed killer. Halosulfuron products such as SedgeHammer® and HALO Select are relevant options. For compatible warm-season turf, the Celsius and Certainty kit offers an alternative approach.

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Do not expect the patch to disappear overnight. Sedge herbicides may take time to move through the plant, and follow-up treatment is sometimes needed. 

Related: Our guide to killing kyllinga covers the process in more detail.

Doveweed

Doveweed (Murdannia nudiflora) is a creeping warm-season annual with thick, shiny, grass-like leaves and fleshy pink-to-red stems that root at the nodes.

It is often mistaken for St. Augustinegrass or centipedegrass because the leaf shape and creeping habit look familiar. Doveweed is usually a brighter green, however, and its leaves are thicker and more succulent. If allowed to flower, it produces small purple or blue-purple blooms that confirm you are not looking at turfgrass.

Doveweed germinates later than many summer weeds, once the soil has warmed in late spring or early summer. It thrives in saturated or poorly drained soil. A patch may therefore indicate excessive irrigation, a low spot, compacted soil, or a drainage problem.

Be careful with mowing. Cutting stolons into pieces does not necessarily kill them. In damp conditions, moved fragments may root elsewhere, so clean up visible pieces rather than scattering them around the yard.

How Do You Control Doveweed?

Pre-emergent control is usually the most dependable approach, but timing matters because doveweed germinates later than crabgrass. Depending on the site and current label, products containing indaziflam or dimethenamid-P may be options. Specticle® FLO contains indaziflam; check the label closely for permitted turf species, application timing, and restrictions. Dimension contains dithiopyr and is useful against many annual grassy and broadleaf weeds, but do not assume it controls doveweed unless the current label specifically says so.

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Once doveweed has emerged, labeled post-emergent options may include atrazine, simazine, or combinations containing sulfentrazone and dicamba. Established plants commonly require two or three treatments spaced according to the label. Product choice varies sharply by turf type, particularly on centipedegrass and St. Augustinegrass, so identify the grass before selecting the herbicide.

Dollarweed (Pennywort)

Dollarweed (Hydrocotyle spp.), also called pennywort, is a creeping perennial broadleaf weed with bright green, round leaves that resemble small lily pads.

The easiest identification clue is where the leaf stalk joins the leaf. On dollarweed, the stalk attaches close to the center rather than at the edge. Its leaves are usually about the size of a silver dollar, although well-fed plants may grow larger.

Dollarweed spreads through underground stems called rhizomes and thrives in wet or poorly drained soil. If it keeps returning, check for overwatering, leaking irrigation, compacted ground, or a low area where water collects. The weed may be annoying, but it is also doing a fairly good job of pointing out the problem.

How Do You Get Rid of Dollarweed?

Start by reducing unnecessary irrigation and correcting drainage where possible. Letting the upper layer of soil dry between waterings makes conditions less favorable for dollarweed and helps prevent its return after treatment.

Small patches can be hand-pulled, but remove as much of the rhizome system as possible. Established colonies will usually need a selective post-emergent herbicide. Atrazine is one option for compatible St. Augustinegrass and centipedegrass lawns, while Celsius WG controls dollarweed in several labeled warm-season grasses. Certain three-way broadleaf herbicides may also be suitable for other turf types.

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Dollarweed commonly needs more than one application, particularly when the soil remains wet. Always check the current label to confirm that the product controls dollarweed and is safe for your particular grass species.

Signalgrass

Broadleaf signalgrass (Urochloa platyphylla) is a spreading summer annual grass with short, wide leaves and branching seed heads that resemble small signal flags.

Look for smooth, broad blades that often show a crease or crinkle near the tip. The stems grow outward, then root wherever a node rests against moist soil. Seed-bearing branches angle away from the main stalk, which gives the plant its memorable common name.

Signalgrass favors thin turf, disturbed ground, bare patches, and newly established lawns. Unlike perennial grassy weeds such as torpedograss, broadleaf signalgrass spreads primarily by seed. Stopping seed production and thickening the turf can therefore make a meaningful difference the following year.

How Do You Control Signalgrass?

Post-emergent treatment is usually the main tool once plants are visible. Quinclorac-based products such as Drive XLR8, Quintessential, and Quinclorac 75 DF are relevant options where broadleaf signalgrass and the existing turf species both appear on the label.

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Treat young, actively growing plants when possible. Larger tillered plants are harder to control, and repeat applications may be required at the label interval. Do not spray drought-stressed turf or guess at compatibility. Some desirable grasses tolerate quinclorac far better than others.

Nimblewill

Nimblewill (Muhlenbergia schreberi) is a warm-season perennial grass weed with fine, wiry stems and pale blue- or gray-green leaves that form loose patches in cool-season lawns.

Timing is one of the best clues for identification. Nimblewill wakes up later than cool-season turf in spring and goes dormant earlier in fall. For part of the year, it can look like a straw-colored dead patch surrounded by green grass. In summer, it greens up but still looks finer, paler, and more tangled than the lawn around it.

It is common in shady or moist areas where desirable cool-season grass is already struggling. Nimblewill spreads through stolons that root at the nodes, gradually enlarging the patch.

How Do You Get Rid of Nimblewill?

Nimblewill is difficult because it is a grass growing among grass. Most herbicides that readily kill it can also damage the lawn you want to keep.

Mesotrione, sold in products such as Tenacity, is the main selective option for nimblewill in compatible cool-season lawns. Control normally requires several applications at label intervals, often beginning after the nimblewill is actively growing in late spring. Temporary whitening is a known effect of mesotrione on susceptible plants, so do not mistake that first color change for instant death.

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For dense or stubborn patches, careful non-selective spot treatment, such as Mirimichi Green Organic Weed Killer Spray, followed by reseeding may be the more realistic route. That is not the quick answer, but it is the honest one. 

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Improve the shade, drainage, soil, or mowing issue that weakened the desirable turf too, or the repaired patch may struggle all over again.

Creeping Lawn Weed Identification Chart

How to Stop Creeping Weeds From Coming Back

Herbicide can remove the plant, but it cannot fix the reason that plant found room to spread. The best long-term defense is dense turf suited to the site.

• Mow at the recommended height for your grass species and never remove more than one-third of the blade at once.

• Water deeply but less often where the grass and local conditions allow. Constantly damp soil favors buttonweed, kyllinga, and doveweed.

• Repair leaks, compacted soil, drainage problems, and low areas that stay soggy.

• Overseed or repair bare patches at the correct time for your turf so weed seeds do not get an open invitation.

• Use pre-emergent herbicides before target weeds germinate, not after they are already visible.

• Avoid moving weed fragments around on mower decks, shoes, or cultivation equipment.

Several weeds in this guide can tell you something useful about the site. Learn more about what your weeds say about your soil, or visit the DIY Lawn Care Blog for practical help building stronger turf.

Frequently Asked Questions About Creeping Weeds

What Is the Difference Between a Creeping Weed and a Clumping Weed?

A creeping weed spreads sideways through stolons, rhizomes, or stems that root at the nodes. A clumping weed grows outward from one central crown, so it usually forms a more distinct bunch and does not travel through the lawn in the same way.

Can I Just Pull Creeping Weeds by Hand?

Hand-pulling can work for young, isolated weeds if you remove the whole root or runner system. It is less reliable for weeds such as torpedograss, buttonweed, and nimblewill because small stem or rhizome pieces may survive and regrow.

Why Do Creeping Weeds Keep Coming Back After Mowing?

Mowing removes leaves but often leaves the rooted stolons, underground rhizomes, or low-growing crown intact. Some creeping weeds grow below the normal mowing height, while cut fragments, such as doveweed, may even root in damp soil.

Is It a Sedge, a Grass, or a Broadleaf Weed?

Grasses have narrow leaves with parallel veins and usually round or flattened stems. Sedges often have solid, triangular stems, while broadleaf weeds have wider leaves with branching veins and may produce obvious flowers.

What Is the Fastest Way to Identify an Unknown Weed in My Lawn?

Photograph the whole patch, a close-up of the leaf, the stem at soil level, and any flower or seed head. Then compare its growth habit, color, stem shape, and preferred site with a trusted weed guide or ask your local Cooperative Extension office for identification.

Catch the Creep Early 

Creeping lawn weeds are much less mysterious once you know which details matter: leaf shape, stem type, flowers, seed heads, runners, and seasonal color. Catching a small patch early gives you far more options than waiting until it has crossed half the yard.

Once you have identified both the weed and your turf species, choose a control method that aligns with the current product label, and be realistic about the need for repeat treatments. 

Browse the Weed Killer collection for suitable options, or keep learning in the DIY Lawn Care Blog. If you want to see these products in action before you buy, check out our videos on the Golf Course Lawn YouTube channel.