During late November and early December, your lawn is preparing for dormancy. Believe it or not, as your lawn goes to sleep for the winter, there are plants that are just beginning to grow called winter annuals. Though inconspicuous at first, as these weeds mature, they can spread across your entire lawn before spring arrives.

Winter Annuals

Winter annuals—or winter weeds—germinate and grow as temperatures cool and daylight decreases throughout fall and winter. With relatively warm temperatures forecast this coming winter, weeds are expected to grow uncontrollably. Some of these winter annuals include:

• Purple Deadnettle/Henbit – These are winter weeds that look very similar and are most noticeable come spring, when purple flowers appear above the upper leaves.

Henbit

Dead Nettle

• Hairy Bittercress – Is a weed with small clusters of white flowers at the end of stems, which produce seeds that spread far and wide.
  

  Hair Bittercress

• Wintercress – Also referred to as Yellow Rocket, Wintercress is a common winter weed. It has dark green shiny leaves with small notches on the tips and small, yellow four-petaled flowers on the tips of the upper branches.

Wintercress

• Chickweed – Is a winter annual with smooth stems and leaves, and white flowers and it can grow in either sun or shade.

Chickweed

Winter weeds can grow anywhere, and your lawn has few defenses when it is dormant. To put it simply, the best defense against winter annuals is a thick and healthy lawn.

Complete Lawn Care can help maintain your lawn and control the growth and spreading of these pesky weeds. We offer a variety of packages to fit the many needs of our clients and their lawns. Don’t let winter weeds dominate your lawn, contact Complete Lawn Care today!