Nimblewill

Nimblewill (Muhlenbergia schreberi) is a native warm-season perennial grass found across much of the eastern and central United States. Although native, it is most often encountered as a lawn weed because its texture and seasonal color differ markedly from cool-season turf.

It spreads by slender, wiry stolons that root at the nodes, forming creeping patches in moist, shaded turf. Its late spring green-up and early fall dormancy leave conspicuous tan patches when surrounding grass is still green.

While undesirable in formal lawns, it is part of native plant communities and provides modest ground cover in shaded woodland edges.

Identify nimblewill by its fine, wiry, sprawling stems and pale blue-green foliage.

• Leaves: Short (1-3 inches), flat, narrow, pale grayish-green blades spaced along the stem
• Habit: Slender stolons creep along the ground and root at nodes, forming loose patches
• Stems: Thin and wiry, branching, 6-24 inches
• Flowers: Delicate, slender spike-like panicles in late summer to fall
• Seasonality: Greens up late in spring and browns out early in fall, standing out from surrounding turf

Usually managed as a weed in turf rather than cultivated.

• Control: Spot-treat with a non-selective herbicide (it is difficult to remove selectively) or dig out patches, then reseed
• Cultural: Improve turf density and reduce excess shade and moisture to limit spread
• If grown intentionally as a native, it tolerates part shade, average to moist soils, and occasional mowing
• Spreads vegetatively, so fragments of stolon can re-root

Native to eastern and central North America, ranging from the Great Plains east to the Atlantic and from southern Canada into the Gulf states.

It naturally grows in moist, shaded habitats: woodland edges, stream banks, floodplains, roadsides, and disturbed ground. In landscapes it favors thin, shaded, irrigated lawns and garden beds.