Small Carpetgrass
Arthraxon hispidus
A sprawling, low-growing annual grass with ovate-to-lanceolate leaves that clasp the stem. It features hairs along the leaf margins near the base.
- Light
- Full sun to partial shade; typically requires at least 4-6 hours of light per day.
- Water
- Prefers moist to wet conditions; often found in drainage ditches or low-lying areas. Moderate drought tolerance.
- Growth
- Summer annual; low-growing, creeping habit. Can reach 1-1.5 feet in height.
Care instructions
As a common weed, it requires little care. To control it, maintain a thick lawn or pull manually before it sets seed. If grown intentionally, provide full sun to partial shade and moderate water.
Growing details
Sunlight
Full sun to partial shade; typically requires at least 4-6 hours of light per day.
Watering
Prefers moist to wet conditions; often found in drainage ditches or low-lying areas. Moderate drought tolerance.
Soil
Thrives in moist, disturbed soils, often in clay or loam with a pH range of 5.0 to 7.5.
Hardiness zone
Grown as an annual in USDA zones 3 to 11.
Growth habit
Summer annual; low-growing, creeping habit. Can reach 1-1.5 feet in height.
Bloom season
Late summer to early autumn; produces small, inconspicuous green or purplish flower spikes.
Propagation
Primarily via seeds; also spreads by rooting at the nodes (stolons).
Common pests & issues
Prone to spreading aggressively in lawns and wetlands, displacing native vegetation.
Similar species
Japanese Stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum), which has a silver line down the center of the leaf, and Crabgrass (Digitaria spp.), which has longer, thinner leaves.