During this cool spring, you may have noticed a strange looking plant with white flowers, growing in your lawn. We'll look at this common weed, what causes it, and how to get rid of it.

What is Hairy Bittercress?

Hairy Bittercress is a common weed that thrives in late winter & early spring. This cold loving weed is actually a member of the mustard family and is edible as a bitter herb. In Cleveland and Columbus this weed is easily identifiable, with white flowers on wiry green stems.

Hairy bittercress often grows in cool, damp, recently disturbed soil, making it most common in landscape beds and gardens. However, Weed Pro technicians are seeing it in a quite a number of lawns due to the high level of moisture and cooler spring.

Grows in Thin Grass Areas

While appearing in gardens and landscape beds, this winter annual weed often appears in lawns that have thin turf.  A fast moving plant, Hairy Bittercress has a lifespan of 3-4 weeks before releasing thousands of quickly spreading seeds.

How do I get rid of Hairy Bittercress?

The good news is that Hairy Bittercress is a winter annual, which means that it will die out when the temperatures get warmer.  However, it’s ugly now, and with typical Ohio weather, you never know when it may warm up. 

Hairy bittercress will die out on its own, however the best defense is always a good offense. Seeing hairy bittercress in your lawn is an indication of a thin lawn, that needs to be thickened up. 

Aeration & Overseeding

The best way to improve a thin lawn and to limit the amount of hairy bittercress in your lawn is to aerate and overseed your lawn. By creating thousands of tiny holes in your lawn, then overseeding, you’ll improve your existing turfs root system, allowing your turf to become thicker and stronger. This will not only eliminate hairy bittercress, but it will also eliminate many other weeds. 

More Spring Lawn Care Tips

Seeding or sodding is just one of the issues you may face when preparing for the lawn care season. That's why Weed Pro has put together one of the best spring lawn care guides in the industry. The best part is that it's yours absolutely free by clicking on the link below!

Shaun Kanary has been a part of the Green Industry for the past 15 years. As the Director of Marketing for Weed Pro Lawn Care, a Cleveland and Columbus Lawn Care Service Provider, Shaun is a regular contributor to the Weed Pro Blog, and other industry magazine and blogs.  Shaun on Google+     Shaun on LinkedIn     Shaun on Twitter