Virginia Buttonweed Control

Virginia buttonweed is a spreading perennial broadleaf weed of warm, moist turf. It roots at stem nodes and regrows from underground parts, making single applications unreliable.

How to Identify Virginia Buttonweed

Opposite lance-shaped leaves grow on prostrate branching stems. Small white four-petaled flowers form in leaf axils, and fruit resembles a small button.

Why It Appears in Turf

Wet soil, poor drainage, frequent irrigation, and thin warm-season turf favor rapid spread. Mowing can distribute stem fragments that root in moist sites.

Make the Site Less Favorable

• Maintain the recommended mowing height and avoid scalping.
• Correct irrigation, drainage, compaction, fertility, or shade problems that thin desirable turf.
• Repair bare areas and use adapted turf cultivars to close openings where seedlings establish.

What University Research and Extension Guidance Says

University of Georgia's 2024-reviewed bulletin reports inconsistent preemergence control and better results from carefully selected postemergence programs, often with sequential applications. Warm-season and cool-season turf differ substantially in tolerance, so the turf species must guide product choice.

Choosing a Turf Herbicide

Perennial weeds often regrow from stolons, rhizomes, tubers, bulbs, or deep roots. Select a product labeled for the desirable turf and target weed, treat actively growing plants, and plan the complete sequence of repeat applications or renovation steps allowed by the label.

Research and label note: University research may discuss treatments or timings that are not permitted on every turf species or use site. Research evidence does not expand a product label. Confirm the desirable turf species, use site, target weed, application timing, rate, adjuvant directions, and reseeding restrictions on the current label before use.

University sources: University of Georgia Extension: Virginia Buttonweed Identification and Control.