This Stubborn Weed Could Be Taking Over Your Garden

By Blake Jackson

Quackgrass is one of the most persistent weeds found in Wisconsin gardens and landscapes. According to Bruce Spangenberg, a Horticulture Outreach Specialist with UW-Madison Division of Extension, the perennial grass can be particularly challenging to remove from vegetable gardens, perennial beds, berry plantings, and lawns.

Quackgrass (Elymus repens) can be recognized by its coarse, relatively wide leaves and long, pale underground rhizomes, or runners. These rhizomes develop roots at their nodes, allowing the plant to spread quickly.

When the runners are broken during cultivation or incomplete removal, each remaining section can produce new growth, making an existing infestation even harder to control.

Another useful identification feature is the plant's auricles. These slender, claw-like structures occur where the leaf blade joins the stem and wrap around the stem.

Combined with the distinctive rhizomes, they help distinguish quackgrass from other unwanted grasses. Mature plants produce tall seedheads with two rows of spikelets.

Native to Europe, quackgrass reached the United States centuries ago, likely through contaminated agricultural materials such as hay and straw. Its name comes from the German word “queck,” meaning lively or vigorous, reflecting its ability to spread and regenerate. Historically, its roots and seeds have also been used as alternative food sources during periods of scarcity.

Controlling quackgrass in home landscapes requires persistence. Hand-digging is generally the most practical approach, but gardeners must remove as much of the underground rhizome system as possible.

Simply cultivating or tilling the soil can worsen the infestation by breaking the runners into smaller pieces. Heavy mulch may also fail because quackgrass can grow through it.

Herbicide options are limited because available products are nonselective and can injure desirable plants. They may be appropriate when preparing areas for new plantings or treating lawns that will subsequently be reseeded.

Gardeners should always carefully read and follow pesticide label instructions before application.

Photo Credit: university-of-wisconsin-madison