Virginia Buttonweed is a flowering broad-leafed perennial native to the South and Southeast. Some consider it a natural wildflower and others a tormenting, aggressive lawn weed that’s difficult to control, even with weed control products.
Lawn care message boards across the web are filled with threads of frustrated homeowners struggling to get the plant out of their lawns.That’s because controlling Virginia Buttonweed can be a daunting task for reasons that have to do with the plant’s robust nature and the different ways it reproduces. In fact, The University of Georgia and The University of Tennessee have even conducted research to find the best combinations of herbicides to manage Virginia Buttonweed in different types of Southern turf grass. Mississippi State also has recommendations.
Controlling Virginia Buttonweed - Lawn Care Tips & Weed Prevention
Homeowners and lawn care professionals have also developed a combination of tactics to manage the plant that include:
Hand removal. (Small patches can be hand-pulled, but care must be taken to remove all the above-ground stems and below-ground roots. This plant can re-establish from small plant parts that remain in the lawn. If you see this weed start to flower, remove it as fast as possible.)
Keeping your lawn tall and lush to help crowd out seeds.
Being careful not to overwater (Virginia Buttonweed likes moist, wet conditions).
Applying herbicide (Caution: be sure to read the label of any herbicide product to ensure it is safe to use on the type of grass you have)
For the best combination of Virginia Buttonweed control measures, treatments and tactics for your lawn, contact your local Spring-Green professionals.
