Annual Trampweed

Annual trampweed (Facelis retusa).
Joey Williamson, ©2008 HGIC, Clemson University

Has your lawn been invaded by a weed that goes to seed in early summer with white, fluffy, dandelion-like seeds? This invasive, winter annual weed is Facelis retusa, or annual trampweed. It’s been in South Carolina for decades, but during years with decreased annual rainfall, this highly competitive weed can easily colonize any bare spaces in drought-stressed, low-fertility lawns and roadsides.

Annual trampweed is a low-growing, broadleaf weed with narrow, alternate foliage. The upper leaf surface is a dull green, and the lower surface has white tufts of long hairs. The plant has freely-branching stems that have a prostrate and spreading habit.

Cultural Control

To significantly control annual trampweed in lawns, homeowners must improve growing conditions for their lawns. A healthy and thick lawn will out-compete annual trampweed, and shade the soil to reduce trampweed seed germination in the fall. Proper turfgrass care includes taking a soil sample, applying the correct amount of dolomitic limestone to adjust the soil pH for optimum grass growth, and fertilizing the grass at the correct times with the appropriate lawn fertilizers (see HGIC 1201, Fertilizing Lawns).

During summer heat and drought, turfgrass may need supplemental watering. During periods of insufficient rainfall, lawns in South Carolina require rainfall to be supplemented with irrigation for a total of one inch per week (see HGIC 1207, Watering Lawns). Implementing the proper mowing height for your turfgrass species is also important to maintain a thick grass stand (see HGIC 1205, Mowing Lawns).

If allowed to go to seed, one can reduce annual trampweed spread culturally by using a bagger on the lawnmower to catch the seeds along with the clippings.

Chemical Control

By the time annual trampweed makes its fluffy, white seed heads in early summer, it is too late to use post-emergence chemical control.

Weed Control in Warm-Season Turfgrass: In warm-season grass lawns (such as bermudagrass, centipedegrass, St. Augustinegrass, and zoysiagrass), a broadleaf weed killer (post-emergence herbicide) should be applied in November and again in February, if needed.

A 3-way, broadleaf herbicide that contains 2,4-D, dicamba, and mecoprop (often abbreviated as MCPP) will control annual trampweed. These are liquid concentrates that are mixed with water in a pump-up sprayer and sprayed on broadleaf weeds in the lawn. See Table 1 for examples of brands and products.

Always follow the product label for application rates and safe use. Notice on the product labels that for use on centipedegrass or St. Augustinegrass, a reduced rate of 3-way herbicides should be used. The two applications of these herbicides will kill any trampweed seedlings that germinated in the fall and those that germinated in the late winter. The product label will state when to make the follow-up application. Do not apply broadleaf weed killers to any warm-season lawns during turfgrass green-up in the spring, as they may severely injure the lawn.

Alternatively, atrazine may be used for annual trampweed control, but only on centipedegrass and St. Augustinegrass. Apply atrazine spray to annual trampweed in November and again in February. A maximum of two applications per year is permitted. Do not apply atrazine during the spring green-up of centipedegrass and St. Augustinegrass, as significant injury to the lawn may occur. See Table 1 for examples of brands and products. Follow the directions on the product label for application rate and safe use.

Weed Control in Cool-Season Turfgrass: In tall fescue lawns that are typically over-seeded annually in October to maintain a thick grass cover, the application of a 3-way, post-emergence, broadleaf weed killer should be delayed until February and then applied again in March. This will kill the trampweed plants from seed that germinated during the fall and spring. The early fall application is not made because this type of herbicide can injure tender, young fescue seedlings. See Table 1 for examples of brands and products. Follow the directions on the product label for application rate and safe use.

Alternatively, herbicides containing triclopyr may be used on tall fescue lawns to control annual trampweed. Make applications in February and again in March. Some products have a lower concentration of triclopyr in their mix, and these may also be used on zoysiagrass and bermudagrass. On these two warm season turfgrasses, apply one of these reduced rate triclopyr products in November and again in February. Follow the directions on the product label for application rate and safe use. See Table 1 for examples of brands and products.

Product Labels & Safe Use: In choosing a lawn weed killer, be sure to look at the product label. It will state which lawn species the product can safely be applied to and which weeds will be controlled. Many consumer brands have several products with very similar names. A particular product may come in as many as three different forms: a concentrate to put into a pump-up sprayer, a ready-to-spray container with a built-in sprayer, and a hose-end container that attaches to the garden hose. Sometimes the active ingredients are different in each of the three product forms. The best advice is to read the label for the active ingredients in the product, look for the weed to be controlled on the label, and make sure it can be used safely on your lawn species and at what time of year.

Remember that your trees and shrubs are broad-leafed plants, and all of the above herbicides can injure or kill them. Most deciduous trees and shrubs have lost their leaves by November and will not have leafed-out again by early March, so applications during these late fall and winter periods are less likely to affect them. However, do not spray heavily around the root zones of these ornamentals, as many herbicides can be taken up by plant roots. Fortunately, annual trampweed seems to be worse in most cases out in sunny areas of the lawn and far enough from trees and shrubs to not be a problem.

Table 1. Examples of Post-emergence Herbicides for Annual Trampweed Control in Residential Lawns.

Pesticides are updated annually. Last updates were done on 8/21 by Joey Williamson.

Originally published 12/08