Winter · Lawn · Updated September 2026
Winter weeds in dormant lawns: henbit, chickweed, and rescuegrass
Green weeds stand out in a brown winter lawn. Which ones show up in Austin, why they're there, and how to stop next year's crop.
Bermuda, St. Augustine, and Zoysia go dormant in winter. That's why every green thing in the lawn stands out in January. Most of it is winter weeds that sprouted back in the fall.
The usual suspects
- Henbit: square stems and small purple-pink flowers in late winter.
- Chickweed: low mats of small oval leaves in shady, damp spots.
- Rescuegrass: fast, light-green clumps with drooping seed heads.
- Annual bluegrass: soft, bright clumps with white seed heads.
- Dandelions and clover: perennials that grow through the cool months.
What to do now
A post-emergent spot treatment knocks back the weeds you can see. The real fix comes earlier: the fall pre-emergent in late September or early October stops most of these from sprouting at all.
Don't let them go to seed
Henbit and annual bluegrass drop thousands of seeds in late winter. Treating them before they flower means fewer weeds next year. Water only if it's been dry for 3 to 4 weeks, since winter weeds love a wet, dormant lawn.
