Lawn burweed is best described as a low-growing, freely branched winter annual having leaves that are twice divided into narrow segments, or lobes, similar to the appearance of carrot leaves but much smaller. The real identifier is once the plant reaches a reproductive stage the small fruit clusters, small rosette buttons, begin to form down in the leaf axils. At the tip of each seed within the cluster is a tiny spine that eventually dries at maturity and is what is left to cause you pain as they stick into tender flesh of bare feet, knees, hands, or whatever parts of the body that may come in contact with them.
If your lawn is presently infested with lawn burweed, and the fruiting clusters have not yet formed, you should act immediately to control them. Once the fruiting clusters have formed, and produced the tiny seeds and spines, killing the plants will eliminate the weeds, but the tiny spines and seed will remain to inflict pain for another summer.
MSU Extension publication, "Weed Control Guidelines for Mississippi" provides a list of several good post-emergent herbicide choices that will control this weed along with most other winter annual weed species, but timing is critical. This publication and others pertaining to weed control and home lawns can be downloaded from the Extension Web.
Even though you may only have a few spots, I’d recommend control ASAP when located, and put it on your fall calendar, to apply a pre-emerge. It may seem complicated, but it’s really not. For any questions concerning this or any other lawn/landscape question, just give me a call at the Winston County Extension office. I can guarantee you won’t be the only one.
Submitted By: Jim McAdory, MSU Extension Agent, Winston County
Submitted By: Jim McAdory, MSU Extension Agent, Winston County