What is this VERY invasive plant growing now (April) all over our entire grass/lawn with many tiny VERY prickly leaves growing in dry, sandy soil? It gets on the dog’s pads and bothers them as well as them sometimes traveling inside on our shoes, causing pain when discovered barefooted. How can we destroy it?
Hi Mary,
this is Soliva sessilis, common name lawn burweed, and there are other common names. It is in the Asteraceae / Composite family and is native to South America. I found this for control: “he best strategy for controlling lawn burweed is to apply a preemergence herbicide, containing the active ingredients atrazine or isoxaben, in late September to early October before the winter weeds germinate. This method will kill it upon sprouting and greatly reduce its presence in your yard next spring.Sep 20, 2019”
Sincerely,
Dr. Steven Hill, Botanist, SCNPS