The West Texas Weed Guide
Know what’s growing in your lawn.
Not every weed is the same—and neither is the way it should be managed. West Texas lawns experience weed pressure throughout the year. Some weeds thrive during the cool months while Bermudagrass is dormant. Others appear as temperatures rise. Some can be prevented with properly timed pre-emergent applications, while others require targeted treatment after they've emerged.
The Flatland Weed Guide is designed to help Lubbock and West Texas homeowners identify common lawn weeds, understand when and why they appear, and learn how professional weed management can help keep them under control.
The first step is simple: Know what you're dealing with.
FIND YOUR WEED ↓
Cool-Season · Broadleaf Weed
HENBIT
Those little purple flowers scattered across dormant Bermuda in late winter and early spring? There's a good chance you're looking at henbit. Henbit is a cool-season broadleaf weed that can become highly visible before Bermudagrass has fully emerged from winter dormancy.
HOW TO IDENTIFY IT
Look for small purple to pink flowers, square stems, and rounded leaves with scalloped edges. The upper leaves grow directly around the stem and can give the plant a layered appearance.
WHEN YOU'LL SEE IT
Henbit is generally most noticeable during the cooler portion of the year and into spring.
WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT
The combination of purple flowers, scalloped leaves, and its tendency to appear while Bermuda is still brown makes henbit relatively recognizable once you know what you're looking for.
Cool-Season Broadleaf · Perennial Weed
DANDELION
Few weeds are as recognizable as the dandelion. Its bright yellow flowers may look harmless, but beneath the surface is a substantial taproot that allows an established plant to persist.
HOW TO IDENTIFY IT
Look for a circular rosette of deeply toothed leaves growing close to the soil. Yellow flowers grow individually on hollow stalks and eventually develop into the familiar round, white seed heads.
WHEN YOU'LL SEE IT
Dandelions can appear during cooler and transitional portions of the year and may persist where growing conditions allow.
FLATLAND FIELD NOTE
Breaking off the flower doesn't remove the plant. The growing point and taproot remain below.
Warm-Season · Broadleaf Weed
SPURGE
Spurge likes to stay low. Instead of growing tall above the lawn, it spreads outward across the soil surface and can quickly occupy thin or open areas during hot weather.
HOW TO IDENTIFY IT
Look for thin stems radiating outward from a central point with many small leaves arranged along them. Depending on the species, leaves may have reddish or purplish markings. Many spurges produce a milky sap when damaged.
WHEN YOU'LL SEE IT
Most noticeable during warmer weather, particularly through summer.
Warm-Season · Sedge
NUTSEDGE
It looks like grass. It grows in the grass. But nutsedge isn't actually a grass. That's an important distinction because sedges grow differently and aren't necessarily managed the same way as common grassy or broadleaf weeds.
HOW TO IDENTIFY IT
Nutsedge often appears lighter or brighter green than surrounding turf and grows noticeably faster. Its stems have a characteristic triangular shape. If you carefully roll one between your fingers, you may be able to feel the edges.
FLATLAND FIELD NOTE
Repeatedly pulling nutsedge can be frustrating because underground structures can allow the plant to return. Correct identification is particularly important before deciding how to manage it.
Warm-Season · Broadleaf Weed
PUNCTUREVINE / GOATHEAD
If you've lived in West Texas long enough, you probably don't need us to explain why this one is unpopular. Puncturevine—commonly called goathead—produces hard, sharp burs capable of finding bicycle tires, shoes, paws, and bare feet with impressive efficiency.
HOW TO IDENTIFY IT
Look for a low-growing plant with stems spreading outward across the ground. It has small paired leaflets and small yellow flowers. The plant eventually produces the distinctive hard, spiny fruit responsible for its nickname.
Still Not Sure What You're Looking At?
Some weeds are easy to identify. Others aren't—and treating the wrong plant with the wrong approach doesn't accomplish much. If you're in the Lubbock area and aren't sure what's growing in your lawn, let Flatland take a look.
West Texas lawns. Done right.
COOL-SEASON WEEDS
Cool-season weeds typically become active during cooler portions of the year and may become particularly noticeable while warm-season turf such as Bermuda is dormant.
Depending on the species and conditions, homeowners may notice these weeds during fall, winter, and early spring.
Examples can include weeds such as henbit and certain other winter annuals.
Cool-Season vs. Warm-Season Weeds
Weeds have seasons, too.
Understanding when a weed grows can be almost as important as knowing what it is.
West Texas weed pressure changes throughout the year.
WARM-SEASON WEEDS
As temperatures increase and Bermuda begins actively growing, a different group of weeds becomes more prominent.
Warm-season weeds can become increasingly noticeable through spring and summer and may take advantage of thin, disturbed, or stressed areas of turf.
Why Do I Have Weeds?
A weed is often telling you something.
Weed seeds are everywhere.
Finding weeds doesn't automatically mean you're doing something wrong.
But when certain weeds repeatedly appear in the same areas, it can be worth asking why.
They can arrive through wind, animals, water movement, equipment, neighboring properties, soil disturbance, and countless other sources.
Thin turf
Open areas provide weeds with less competition for space and sunlight.
Poor irrigation coverage
Stressed turf may become less competitive, while certain weeds may thrive under the conditions created by inconsistent watering.
Too much water
Constantly wet areas can create favorable conditions for certain unwanted plants.
Shade
Bermuda can struggle under significant shade, leaving thin areas where other plants have an opportunity to establish.
Soil disturbance
Digging, landscaping, construction, aeration, animals, and other disturbances can create opportunities for weed seeds to germinate.
Seasonal pressure
Sometimes weeds appear simply because conditions are right for that particular species.
That's why good weed control isn't only about asking:
“What can I spray on this?”
It's also about asking:
“Why is it growing here?”
Pre-Emergent vs. Post-Emergent
Prevention + treatment.
Professional weed control generally involves two different strategies.
PRE-EMERGENT
Before the weed appears.
Pre-emergent herbicides are designed to interfere with the establishment of certain weeds during germination.
Because of that, timing matters.
Once a targeted weed is already established and visible, a pre-emergent application isn't intended to make that existing plant disappear.
Why Flatland uses both
You can't prevent everything.
A strong weed-control strategy combines properly timed prevention with targeted treatment throughout the year.
And you don't want to spend the entire year reacting to weeds after they've already taken over.
POST-EMERGENT
After the weed appears.
Post-emergent herbicides are used to target weeds that are already actively growing.
The appropriate treatment can depend on the weed species, turf type, maturity, temperature, weather, and other conditions.
Why Pre-Emergent Doesn't Stop Every Weed
Prevention isn't perfection.
A properly timed pre-emergent application can be an incredibly valuable part of a weed-management program.
But it doesn't create an invisible force field around your lawn.
Different herbicides control different weeds. Some weeds reproduce or establish in ways that aren't controlled by a particular pre-emergent. Soil disturbance can affect the treated area, and application timing and environmental conditions matter.
And weeds that are already established require a different approach.
So if you see an occasional weed after receiving pre-emergent, that doesn't automatically mean the treatment failed.
The goal is to significantly reduce preventable weed pressure and then manage what appears afterward.
What Happens After a Weed Is Sprayed?
Give the treatment time to work.
One of the most common questions we hear is:
“Why isn't the weed dead yet?”
Post-emergent herbicides don't necessarily make weeds disappear overnight. Depending on the weed, product, temperature, maturity of the plant, and growing conditions, visible results can take time.
Some weeds may begin showing discoloration or changes relatively quickly. Others decline more gradually. A weed doesn't have to turn brown immediately for a treatment to be working.
Don't pull it just yet.
If we've recently treated a weed, give the application time to work before removing the plant unless we've instructed you otherwise.
Weed Control + Healthy Turf
The best defense isn't always another herbicide.
Weed control and turf health go hand in hand.
A thick, actively growing lawn occupies space, intercepts sunlight, and competes for resources.
Thin, stressed turf leaves more opportunity for weeds to establish.
That's why a complete lawn strategy isn't simply:
Spray. Spray. Spray.
It's also:
Water appropriately.
Mow consistently.
Provide adequate sunlight.
Feed actively growing turf appropriately.
Prevent weeds when possible.
Address problems when they appear.
The goal isn't simply fewer weeds.
It's better turf.
Common Weed Questions
Why do I still have weeds after pre-emergent?
Pre-emergent doesn't control every weed, and it doesn't kill weeds that were already established. Different products target different species, and soil disturbance, environmental conditions, and application timing can also influence results. An occasional weed isn't necessarily evidence that your preventative treatment failed.
Why are weeds growing faster than my grass?
Different plants grow at different rates. This becomes particularly noticeable when Bermuda is dormant or transitioning while a cool-season weed is actively growing.
Can you guarantee my lawn will be completely weed-free?
No responsible lawn company should guarantee that you'll never see another weed. Our goal is to significantly reduce weed pressure through prevention, targeted treatment, and consistent lawn care.
Should I pull weeds after they've been sprayed?
Generally, give a recently treated weed time to respond before removing it unless your technician has provided different instructions.
Why did weeds suddenly appear everywhere?
Many weeds germinate or become visible around the same time when temperature, moisture, and seasonal conditions become favorable. What looks like an overnight invasion may actually be a predictable seasonal emergence.
Can weeds come from my neighbor's lawn?
Weed seeds don't respect property lines. Wind, animals, water, equipment, and other movement can introduce seeds from surrounding areas. That's one reason weed management is an ongoing process.
The Flatland Approach to Weed Control
Prevention where we can. Precision where we can't.
We don't believe good weed control means blindly spraying everything green.
Our approach combines:
PREVENTION
Properly timed pre-emergent applications designed to reduce certain seasonal weeds before they establish.
CONSISTENCY
Monitoring and managing weed pressure throughout the year rather than waiting for a lawn to become overwhelmed.
IDENTIFICATION
Understanding what's actually growing before deciding how to manage it.
TURF HEALTH
Supporting a healthier lawn that's better able to compete for space and resources.
TARGETED CONTROL
Post-emergent treatments selected for the weeds and conditions we're dealing with.
It's a long-term approach designed for the conditions we see right here in West Texas.
Built for West Texas Weeds
Flatland Lawn Solutions provides professional weed control and lawn treatments throughout Lubbock, Wolfforth, Shallowater, New Home, Idalou, New Deal, Ransom Canyon, and surrounding West Texas communities.
We work here.
We live here.
And we've spent years working hands-on with the weeds and lawns that come with living here.
See something growing in your lawn?
Let us take a look.
West Texas lawns. Done right.