What These 4 Tennessee Weeds Have in Common

Some weeds aren’t just a nuisance — they’re relentless. If you’ve been battling the same patches of strange-looking grass, fast-spreading groundcover, or thick clumps that won’t go away, you’re not alone. Tennessee lawns, especially in the Nashville area, are highly prone to a handful of persistent weed species that require more than a one-time spray.

In this post, we’re breaking down four of the toughest lawn weeds we see in Middle Tennessee: nutsedge, spurge, Virginia buttonweed, and Dallisgrass. Learn what they are, why they’re so hard to kill, and how to treat them effectively.

What These 4 Weeds Have in Common

Sedge (nutsedge), spurge, Virginia buttonweed, and Dallisgrass all share the following traits:

• Hard to control in Southern lawns due to rhizomes, tubers, or prolific seeding
• Thrive in stressed lawns with compacted soil or poor drainage
• Require targeted herbicides — general weed killers often don’t work
• Tend to return season after season if not treated consistently
  

1. Nutsedge (Sedge)

• Grass-like weed with sharp, triangular stems
• Grows faster and taller than turfgrass
• Thrives in wet or poorly drained areas
• Spreads by underground tubers called “nutlets”
• Requires sedge-selective herbicides (e.g., halosulfuron or sulfentrazone)
  
  

2. Spurge

• Broadleaf weed that grows low to the ground
• Spreads quickly by seed
• Produces a white, milky sap when broken
• Prefers hot, dry, compacted lawns
• Can usually be treated with standard broadleaf herbicides
  
  

3. Virginia Buttonweed

• Perennial broadleaf weed with opposite leaves on square stems
• Spreads through seeds, root fragments, and rhizomes
• Common in moist, poorly drained areas
• Blooms with small white or pink star-shaped flowers
• Requires repeated post-emergent herbicide treatments with products containing 2,4-D, dicamba, carfentrazone, or metsulfuron
  
  

4. Dallisgrass

• Coarse, clumping perennial grass weed
• Grows from rhizomes and reseeds aggressively
• Seed heads grow from the side of stems, resembling crabgrass
• Thrives in thin or overwatered turf
• Control involves a mix of pre-emergent herbicides in late winter and spot-treating with post-emergent products during the growing season
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How to Kill These Weeds in Nashville

If you’re wondering how to kill weeds in your Nashville lawn, here’s your plan:

1. Correctly identify the weed species
2. Improve lawn conditions with aeration, drainage fixes, and proper mowing
3. Use the right herbicide for each type (sedge, broadleaf, grassy)
4. Repeat treatments as needed — many of these weeds require multiple applications
5. Get help from a lawn care professional for persistent or widespread issues
   

References

• LSU AgCenter: Virginia Buttonweed Management
• The Spruce: How to Get Rid of Dallisgrass
• SuperSod: Dallisgrass Management
• Turf Gator: What is Nutsedge?
• Essential Home & Garden: Get Rid of Nutsedge
• Lawn Love: Virginia Buttonweed Control
• Spring-Green Lawn Care: Buttonweed Blog

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