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What kind of weed / grass is this? #475525

Asked August 03, 2018, 11:39 AM EDT

This weed / grass is growing wild in my backyard this year. I like it! Low to zero maintenance because it does not grow tall. And, most importantly, it is growing in my densely shaded backyard. (dense shade is no exaggeration.. less than 2hrs of sun per day). I would like to plant more of it!! I would greatly appreciate any info. Thank you.

St. Johns County Florida

Expert Response

Hi, I sent your photo up to our botanist and here is his reply.....

It is really hard for me to make a confident identification based on a single photo of a sterile (non-flowering/non-fruiting) plant. However, the plant in your photo appears to be a species of Murdannia, most likely Murdannia nudiflora, commonly known as doveweed or nakedstem dewflower, in the Commelinaceae (spiderwort/dayflower/wandering jew family). It is native to Asia, but is widely naturalized elsewhere. Doveweed is a summer annual that is a commonly found as a weed in lawns, pastures, and crop fields in Florida and elsewhere. For more information about this species see: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/AG/AG39500.pdf   and  http://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/35180

I hope this helps!

Best wishes, Marc

An Ask Extension Expert Replied August 15, 2018, 9:50 AM EDT

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