Learn Where to Look for Sandbur Patches
Sandspur or sandbur plants sprout as green, grassy weeds that you may not be able to distinguish from turfgrass without a closer look. As the sandspur matures during the spring months, it will produce "fruit," a cluster of spiny seed pods that allow it to spread to other areas by hitch-hiking with people or animals that pass by.
If you think you may have sandspur growing on your property, check the characteristics listed below to find the right weed treatment to use.
When Does Sandspur Grow?
Sandspur weeds germinate in the early spring and mature through the spring and summer as the weather warms. Sandspur can continue to produce seeds (in burs) through the summer, and buried seeds can continue to germinate and sprout through until the first frost.
Southern Sandspur and most other varieties are summer annuals that will die off with the winter frost, but the seed pods it leaves behind will serve as a painful reminder of the weed's presence on your lawn unless you find the right solution for weed control. Some sandbur types are perennials, able to overwinter in the soil and return the next season.
Where Does Sandspur Grow?
Sandspur varieties appear across the United States, but Southern sandspur is most common in the southern states and is especially common in Florida.
In every state, sandspur weeds take to areas with sandy soil, including open fields, coastal plains, some wooded areas, and parcels of disturbed or tilled soil. These invasive weeds are most comfortable in sandy soil types but can tolerate other types as well as different moisture levels and climates. Sandspur can tolerate some levels of both flooding and drought.
Sandbur stalks can grow upright or along the ground, often forming matted clusters of weeds and burs. These weeds are also sometimes called "mat sandbur" after their low-growing habits.