Young Japanese Stiltgrass
It is highly competitive in the shade and can also invade lightly shaded to full sun areas.
Young japanese stiltgrass. Japanese stiltgrass nepalese browntop microstegium vimineum trin a. If japanese stiltgrass is present in your lawn a postemergent herbicide labeled to control annual grass weeds like crabgrass can be used to spot treat young weeds. Japanese stiltgrass microstegium vimineum is a plant species in poaceae annual grasses in various habitats and adapts well to low light levels 0 2 1 1 m long grows using soft stems and droops with segments where roots can grow in each segment connection m. Camus poaceae grass family close up of young plant young plants adventitious roots from nodes of young plant leaf collar region showing long stiff hairs leaf blade with shiny wide midstripe japanese stiltgrass nepalese browntop.
Stiltgrass will turn a reddish color and die following fall frosts. Japanese stiltgrass is an annual grass that germinates in the spring and dies back each fall. The deer won t eat it under any circumstances but they do enjoy sleeping among the hummocks in winter instant straw. Japanese stiltgrass also known as bamboograss flexible sesagrass japanese grass mary s grass microstegium nepal microstegium nepaleze browntop or vietnamese grass is a summer annual commonly found in shady moist areas and is spreading rapidly in woodlands as well as shaded landscapes and low maintenance turf throughout the southeastern united states mid atlantic states and north.
This invader has transformed destroyed piedmont wetlands in just a few short decades. Though various sources say nimblewill looks like japanese stiltgrass creeping bentgrass and bermuda grass it doesn t look like any of those species to me. Once you see them side by side you ll likely agree. When i roamed north carolina piedmont woodlands and stream sides as a child and young adult japanese stiltgrass was nowhere to be seen.
Biology japanese stiltgrass is a summer annual similar to crabgrass but usually germinates two or more weeks earlier than crabgrass. The tiny seeds are carried on hikers shoes cars atvs and logging and road maintenance equipment. A quick pull of the lighter colored taller stiltgrass made it easier for the nimblewill to continue its territorial takeover. Look for the active ingredient fenoxaprop.
The deer won t eat it under any circumstances but they do enjoy sleeping among the hummocks in winter instant straw. Vimineum has pale green leaves alternating spear shaped 2 5 7 6 cm long asymmetrical with a shiny midrib haired or not haired. A prolific seeder with a sprawling growth habit it is often found growing along trails and roads quickly spreading to the forest understory. Japanese stiltgrass microstegium vimineum is bright green with a distinctive silvery stripe of reflective hairs along the midrib of each narrow lance shaped blade the leaves are one to three inches long and alternately arranged on a branched stalk resembling a smaller more delicate version of bamboo.
This invader has transformed destroyed piedmont wetlands in just a few short decades. Not in weeds of the great plains nor weeds of the northeast. Seedheads are produced in late summer and j.