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Doveweed: the weed that looks like grass

Doveweed is a summer annual that looks so much like grass that it hides in St. Augustine and centipede lawns until it has spread into mats. It loves wet soil, and Clemson says clearing it can take two to three years.

What does doveweed look like?

Doveweed has thick, shiny leaves up to 4 inches long with parallel veins, on creeping stems that root as they spread. In summer it opens small flowers with three lavender petals. Its leaves are thicker and shinier than the grass around them. Clemson notes it often goes unnoticed in St. Augustine and centipede lawns because it looks so much like the grass.

Why does doveweed keep spreading in my lawn?

Doveweed thrives in overly moist soil. Poor drainage, frequent rain and heavy irrigation all give it the advantage, and once it is up it spreads by thick creeping stems as well as by seed. Its seeds germinate in late spring when the soil reaches 65 to 70 degrees, so a lawn that had it last year will have a new crop this year.

Where does do-it-yourself treatment go wrong?

• Hand pulling. Clemson says hand pulling doveweed is ineffective.
• Treating at the wrong time. Clemson warns against atrazine and 3-way broadleaf products during spring green-up of warm-season grasses, and against atrazine on a drought-stressed lawn or above 90 degrees.
• Treating the weed and not the water. If the soil stays wet, the doveweed comes back. Clemson's cultural advice is to water deeply but less often so the surface dries, fix drainage, aerate compacted soil and avoid mowing too low.
• Stopping after one year. Clemson's guidance is that doveweed may take two to three years of pre-emergent and post-emergent treatment.

When should doveweed be treated in the Midlands?

For the Midlands, Clemson recommends a pre-emergent around April 1 with a second application 45 days later. Plants that come through get post-emergent treatment in summer, timed around heat and the lawn's green-up.

How does Spring Green treat doveweed?

Our lawn care program puts down summer pre-emergent in two rounds, the first between February and April and the second in April or May, and every visit includes post-emergent weed control. The schedule shifts by up to a month with the weather.

Last updated 2026-09-25. Spring Green is owned by Stockton Wells.