Tropical Crabgrass
Digitaria argillacea
- Native to:
- Benin, Burkina, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Panamá, Puerto Rico, Senegal, Togo, United States
GBIF: Zon APM van der
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Poaceae
- Genus:
- Digitaria
- Species:
- Digitaria argillacea
- USDA Symbol:
- DIAR3
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Annual | Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Graminoid
- Height:
- 60 cm
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
- Bloom Months:
- jul,aug,sep,oct
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, small mammals
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts from basal meristems following fire; typical of warm-season grasses.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- sandy, well-drained, nutrient-poor soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- Common in savanna and open grasslands
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Germination Time:
- 7–21 days
- Notes:
- Warm-season grass; germinates readily with warm soil temperatures above 20°C.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI