Crabgrass or quackgrass

Discussion in 'Garden Pest Management and Identification' started by 2annbrow, Nov 1, 2009.

  1. 2annbrow

    2annbrow Active Member

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    Yes. Buttercups are like crabgrass - you just have to keep digging & pulling, and leave them no place to grow, or learn to live with them.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 3, 2009
  2. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Re: Buttercup Woes!!!

    Considering location you are probably talking about quackgrass.
     
  3. 2annbrow

    2annbrow Active Member

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    Re: Buttercup Woes!!!

    What is that? I never heard of it. We have several different species [so I assume, as they are very different] of invasive grasses, but nobody calls them that. As you can tell, I don't know many botanical names.
     
  4. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Re: Buttercup Woes!!!

    Crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis) is a summer annual and not usually a big problem in our cool climate. I have seen it here perhaps several times at most. Quackgrass (Elymus repens) is the persistent creeping tough-rooted perennial that "many Seattleites call crabgrass" (Jacobson, Wild Plants of Greater Seattle - Second Edition).
     
  5. 2annbrow

    2annbrow Active Member

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    Re: Buttercup Woes!!!

    Interesting. I appear to have both.
     
  6. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Re: Buttercup Woes!!!

    Actually, Elymus repens - now correctly Elytrigia repens - is Common Couch. Seems to be another case of Seattleites misnaming imported grasses, that Jacobson might want to add a note of.
     
  7. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Re: Buttercup Woes!!!

    He lists the plant as Elymus (Agropyron, Elytrigia) repens Quackgrass. Couchgrass. Quitchgrass. Dog Grass. Twitch. Devil's Grass. Whickens. Scutch Grass. Witch Grass. Quickgrass.

    because THAT is the world that exists, a world of evolving botanical names subject to acceptance and rejection by various authors - and a world of many, many more non-botanists than botanists who often use multiple common names for the same plant. Individuals can claim that there is only one "correct" common name and one botanical name in use for a plant a thousand times and it will not change the essential actual fact that this is not the case (except where it happened to be that only one common name and one botanical name where being used for a particular plant).
     
  8. 2annbrow

    2annbrow Active Member

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    I didn't bother to get the identity of the thugs who attacked my borders - I simply pulled them up & burned them.
     

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