Key Identification Features of Cogongrass
Flower/Seed head
- Cylindrical in shape
- 2-8 inches in length (total flower or seed head)
- Silvery white in color
- Light fluffy dandelion-like seeds
- Blooms from late March to mid June (flower timing depends somewhat on local climate)
Leaves
- Blades up to 6 feet long
- About 1 inch wide
- Whitish, prominent midrib, that is often off center
- Margins finely serrate
- Some leaves are very erect, but some may droop or lie flat
- Often light yellowish-green in color
- Could have a reddish cast in fall/winter or brown after frost or freeze
Plant Base
- No apparent stem
- Leaves appear to arise directly from or close to the ground
- Overlapping sheaths give a rounded appearance to the plant base
- All vegetation doesn’t arise from one dense clump, instead the plants are more spread out
- Light-green to yellowish in color, or could be reddish
- Often a lot of thatch around base
Leaf collar/Ligule
- Ligule is a thin-fringed membrane
- Leaf sheaths overlapping, giving the plant a round appearance
- Hairy (the ligule is the most hairy part of the plant, the plant base may also be somewhat hairy)
Rhizome/Roots
- Dense mat
- Many sharp points
- Covered in flaky scales
- Bright white under scales
- Strongly segmented
Whole Plant
- Densely growing patches
- Tall grass (up to six feet, averaging 3-4 feet)
- Circular infestations
- Plants often turn brown in winter (at least partially, but may depend on local climate)
