Problem weed - Ask Extension
I have a weed that is smothering areas of the lawn. It has many small petals and many tiny yellow flowers. It is very aggressive and smothers any gras...
Knowledgebase
Problem weed #873394
Asked June 17, 2024, 9:09 AM EDT
I have a weed that is smothering areas of the lawn. It has many small petals and many tiny yellow flowers. It is very aggressive and smothers any grass trying to grow in the area. I have been removing it by pulling but seems to have many root attachments. Is there a lawn treatment for this weed?
Kalamazoo County Michigan
Expert Response
This plant is black medic (Medicago lupulina), which is a plant in the legume (pea or bean) family.
Black medic is often a summer annual weed of garden edges and lawns, especially where the grass is thin or bare. It is a low-growing plant, which allows it to go unharmed in the lawn. Compound leaves are comprised of 3 toothed leaflets. The center leaflet is found on a longer stalk than the other leaflets. Small, yellow, cluster-like flowers are produced from May to September.
Small patches of black medic may be pulled from the soil. A triclopyr-containing herbicide, such as Weed-B-Gone Chickweed, Clover, and Oxalis Killer, will be more effective on black medic. This product can be found in most lawn and garden stores (Lowe’s, Home Depot, Walmart, TSC, etc.). Herbicides should be applied in summer when weeds are not drought-stressed but are growing well.
Black medic is often a summer annual weed of garden edges and lawns, especially where the grass is thin or bare. It is a low-growing plant, which allows it to go unharmed in the lawn. Compound leaves are comprised of 3 toothed leaflets. The center leaflet is found on a longer stalk than the other leaflets. Small, yellow, cluster-like flowers are produced from May to September.
Small patches of black medic may be pulled from the soil. A triclopyr-containing herbicide, such as Weed-B-Gone Chickweed, Clover, and Oxalis Killer, will be more effective on black medic. This product can be found in most lawn and garden stores (Lowe’s, Home Depot, Walmart, TSC, etc.). Herbicides should be applied in summer when weeds are not drought-stressed but are growing well.
Thank you. I thought it could be black medic but it was more dense and aggressive than I expected of black medic.
