Lawn weeds can be identified based on their looks, their colors, and their behavior.
Managing to learn more about each of the weeds that’ll potentially establish their colonies near your lawn is important. And in this Lawn Advisors guide we’ll identify some weeds based on their appearance, as we’ll showcase the most common types of lawn weed that looks like wheat.
The more you learn about different types of lawn weed that looks like wheat, the more you’ll be able to decide if you’ll keep those weeds, use them to the fullest, or get rid of them as soon as possible.
Lawn Weed That Looks Like Wheat
1. Barnyard Grass
2. Hare Barley
3. Ryegrass
4. Foxtail
5. Dallisgrass
6. Quack Grass
7. Feather Reed
8. Bluegrass
9. Feather Finger Grass
10. Johnson Grass
1. Barnyard Grass
Barnyard grass is one of the closest weeds to look like wheat you may ever notice. Even some of its species are grown as cereal.
They are native to tropical climates in Africa and Asia, and this has helped the weed become invasive in multiple areas around the US.
Therefore, you’re most likely going to encounter barnyard grass if you live in a tropical or temperate region.
It may not be harmful, but it can cause damage to farming equipment if it has grown near them, in addition to being too hard to get rid of if it has already created its own colony.
2. Hare Barley
Hare barley is a close second when it comes to lawn weed that looks like wheat, as it’s a highly invasive weed that can grow over 3 feet tall.
Hare barley is an annual weed that thrives in cold times, and is native to North America.
The good thing is that hare barley can’t find a good home in areas that are taken care of inside your lawn, with that being said, with regular maintenance you may never encounter hare barley at all.
What makes it really close to looking like wheat is the series of lateral sterile spikelets, which make the plant look like grain.
The wheat-like figure of the weed made it an ideal food for the livestock, as long as you manage to store it under the right conditions preserving it from turning into a toxic substance instead of a useful food for the livestock.
3. Ryegrass
Ryegrass is considered an annual weed that thrives under cool climates, and its seed heads make it look like wheat more than anything else.
Since it’s an annual weed, you can often find it in residential lawns, with its spaced spikelets alternatively growing up from the stem, forming the wheat-like shape.
Ryegrass can reach up to 3 feet, but if you’d like to get rid of it, you’ll need to mow lower than you usually do, or use any non-selective herbicide while the ryegrass is active in your lawn.
4. Foxtail
Foxtail grows in the warm season, and loves the fertile and moist lawn to thrive on them, creating its invasive colonies.
It’s an annual weed that is commonly found in agricultural fields throughout the US, but it can still be found in parks and residential lawns if the lawns are poorly maintained.
As invasive as it is, Foxtails can reach up to 4 feet tall, as they reach the full grown state between July and September of each year.
5. Dallisgrass
Dalligrass is a warmer-season weed that’s often mistaken for wheat due to a lot of similarities in shape.
It’s still one of the most challenging weeds when it comes to removing it from a lawn for good.
Learn more about it in this guide.
6. Quack Grass
Commonly referred to as the couch plant, the quack grass weed is a pretty invasive weed that’s both mistaken for fescue and wheat at the same time.
It’s a creeping perennial weed that can easily take over the whole lawn if left unchecked. Even professional gardeners find it pretty hard to get rid of quack grass with regular weed removal methods.
They don’t pose any health risks to humans or animals, but they -with their wheat like leaf blades- can eat through your whole lawn by reproducing fast and effectively.
The proven remedy to get rid of quack grass is by plucking clumps of the weed, but it’s also time and effort consuming compared to other methods.
7. Feather Reed
Native to Europe and Asia, Feather reed is an ornamental grass that can be a beautiful addition to your lawn and even porches.
It can grow to 4 feet tall, creating pleasantly smelling flower heads in early summer days.
The central stall with the flowers and seeds are what make feather reed look like wheat.
Despite being non-toxic, the feather reed plant still has sharp points that could scratch your pets or kids when you’re not aware.
8. Bluegrass
Bluegrass is another wheat-look-like weed that’s native to Europe, and finds better hospitality when left near dense clumps inside your lawn.
It’s also found around beautiful, rich, and well-maintained lawns trying to establish a footing near it, so watch out.
Read through the guide we linked at the Dallisgrass above, as it has more about bluegrass weeds if you’re looking for more information on it.
9. Feather Finger Grass
Feather finger grass is an invasive weed that’s native to North America, and has been well-known for their unexpected rapid growth near lawns.
Generally speaking, they tend to grow around neglected areas, but they have been noticed near gardens and lawns in recent years.
Feather finger weeds look a lot like wheat, and can reach up to 3 feet tall.
Luckily, feather finger weed isn’t considered toxic for pets.
10. Johnson Grass
Johnson grass is native to Asia and Northern Africa, and it’s some of the weeds that grow the highest when they’re fully grown, as Johnson Grass weeds can reach up to 8 feet tall.
They aren’t toxic, and can be used to feed livestock, but the real problem is how invasive they are when they invade a lawn.
Why Does My Grass Look Like Wheat
Weeds or grasses that look like wheat typically inject most of their energy into seed production, similar to what wheat looks like.
Moreover, when all the energy is utilized into the seed production, the grass blades become lighter in their color, lighter than the vibrant green that typical grasses look like.
Summary
This is a full list of lawn weed that looks like wheat, the most common 10 types of weed.
Additionally, you have all the information you’ll need to counter them, or keep them for your own use.
In case you have any questions regarding these types of weeds, feel free to ask us in the comments section below.
