How to Get Rid of Dollarweed in Wilmington, NC (Fix the Water First)
It rains for three days straight in Wilmington. On day four, you walk the yard with your coffee. Shiny, round leaves are popping up in the low corner, like tiny lily pads floating in your grass.
You mow them. They’re back in a week. You spray something from the garage, and the weeds shrug it off. Sound familiar?
Here’s what nobody tells you about dollarweed. It isn’t really a weed problem. It’s a water problem wearing a weed costume. Fix the water, and you win half the battle before you open a bottle of herbicide.
This guide shows how to get rid of dollarweed in Wilmington NC, step by step. You’ll learn how to fix watering and drainage, when hand pulling works, and which herbicides are safe for your grass. The wrong product can hurt your lawn faster than the weed ever did.
The Short Version
Here’s the quick summary before we dig in.
- Dollarweed, also called pennywort, thrives in wet and saturated soil.
- University of Florida research found that cutting irrigation frequency alone reduced it.
- Hand pulling works for small patches if you remove the underground stems.
- Atrazine suits St. Augustine and centipede but can damage bermuda.
- Treat in mild weather and expect to repeat the treatment.
What Is Dollarweed, and Why Does Wilmington Grow So Much of It?
- Dollarweed, also called pennywort, is a perennial broadleaf weed with round, scalloped leaves. It spreads by seed and creeping underground stems. It loves wet, shaded, or poorly drained soil, which describes many Wilmington yards after summer storms. Once established, it spreads fast.
- Look closely at a leaf. The stem attaches near the center, like a tiny umbrella handle. That detail separates dollarweed from clover, which has three leaflets.
- Wilmington gives dollarweed plenty of help. Heavy summer thunderstorms, tropical systems, and coastal humidity keep soil wet for days. Low spots, compacted areas, and overlapping sprinklers hold even more water. Our guide on hurricane season lawn care in Wilmington explains how storms leave turf soggy and stressed.
- Here’s the contrarian take. Dollarweed is a signal, not a villain. It tells you exactly where your lawn stays too wet. Read that signal before you buy a single product.
How Do You Fix the Water Problem First?
- Water deeply and less often, repair leaks, and correct drainage. University of Florida research found that reducing irrigation frequency lowered dollarweed on its own. Turf tolerates dry spells better than dollarweed does, so a drier surface favors your grass.
- The Clemson Home and Garden Information Center and Mississippi State Extension both list moisture control as the first step. Here’s how to do it.
- Switch to deep, infrequent watering. Many extension programs suggest about one inch per week from rain and irrigation combined.
- Run a catch-can test. Set tuna cans around the lawn, run each zone for 15 minutes, and measure the water.
- Walk each zone and fix broken heads, leaks, and overlapping spray.
- Add a rain sensor, or skip cycles after storms.
- Redirect downspouts and fill low spots with sandy topsoil.
- Aerate compacted soil so water drains instead of pooling.
- The audit takes about an hour. The fixes may take a weekend. Our fall aeration timing guide shows when to aerate, and our lawn aeration services can do it for you.
- Overwatering has a second cost. Soggy soil also invites fungus. If you see circular patches, check our brown patch treatment guide and our post on fungus versus drought stress.
Can You Pull Dollarweed by Hand?
- Yes, for small patches. Mississippi State Extension notes that periodic hand removal is often the most effective control. Pull when the soil is wet and dig out the underground stems, because broken pieces can regrow. Bag the weeds instead of composting them.
- Slide a hand fork under the plant and lift gently. Follow the creeping stems and remove them too. Fill the hole with soil and a plug of your own grass. Bare spots invite new weeds.
- Here’s the mistake people repeat. They yank the leaves and leave the stems. Two weeks later, the patch looks bigger. Pulling beats spraying for a patch smaller than a dinner table. For anything larger, you’ll want help from a herbicide.
Which Herbicide Is Safe for Your Grass Type?
- Match the product to your turf. Atrazine controls dollarweed in St. Augustine and centipede but can damage bermuda. Imazaquin and metsulfuron work for several warm-season grasses. Always read the label, because rates, heat limits, and grass tolerance change by product.
Grass type | Options that fit | Watch out |
St. Augustine | Atrazine, imazaquin (Image), metsulfuron at label rates | Atrazine twice a year at most, not on new sod, not in high heat |
Centipede | Atrazine, imazaquin (Image) | Metsulfuron is tolerated only at low rates |
Bermuda | Imazaquin (Image), metsulfuron, three-way broadleaf products | Atrazine can damage bermuda |
| Zoysia | Imazaquin (Image), three-way broadleaf products | Sources disagree on atrazine, so skip it unless your label lists zoysia |
Here’s the honest take on each option. Atrazine is cheap and works as both a pre-emergent and a post-emergent. Labels limit it to two uses a year, and sources warn against heat above roughly 85 to 90 degrees. Imazaquin is the most flexible choice across warm-season grasses. Three-way products with 2,4-D, mecoprop, and dicamba treat many broadleaf weeds. Heat and rate matter, so read the label closely on centipede and St. Augustine. Celsius, which combines thiencarbazone, iodosulfuron, and dicamba, also treats many broadleaf weeds on several warm-season grasses.
Herbicides work less well as dollarweed matures. Treat young plants early and plan on repeat applications. Our guides on St. Augustine, centipede, bermuda, and zoysia help you confirm what you’re growing.
Here’s our strong opinion. Never spray before you know your grass type. A wrong guess costs more than the dollarweed ever could.
When Is the Best Time to Treat Dollarweed in Wilmington?
Treat in mild weather, usually spring and fall. Atrazine labels warn against high heat, and young plants die more easily than mature ones. If you’re reading this in October, late fall gives you a good window before winter slows growth.
Atrazine, isoxaben (Gallery), and indaziflam (Specticle) offer some pre-emergent control of dollarweed in warm-season turf. Think of that as partial protection, not a guarantee. Our month-by-month pre-emergent calendar shows how to time those products around your other weed control.
If you’re also fighting summer grassy weeds, read our guide on how to get rid of crabgrass in Wilmington. The two weeds need different products.
What About Glyphosate?
Glyphosate kills dollarweed and the grass around it. Use it only for spot treatments in landscape beds or in areas where weeds outnumber turf. Shield nearby grass, and plan to replant bare spots afterward.
Clemson suggests a 3 percent glyphosate solution in a pump-up sprayer for dollarweed control. Beds are a common use. Mississippi State also lists imazaquin as an option in beds.
If pennywort has taken over a whole section, starting fresh may be easier. Remove the weeds, fix the drainage, and replant. Our best grass type guide helps you choose what to grow in a wet or shaded spot.
Why Does Dollarweed Keep Coming Back?
Dollarweed returns because the soil stays wet, underground stems survive, and thin turf leaves room for new plants. Fix all three. Treating only the leaves is like cutting a weed’s hair and leaving its roots.
Check these culprits:
- The water is still too high. A single leaky head can feed a patch all summer.
- Underground stems remain. Broken pieces regrow quickly.
- Turf is thin. Shaded or stressed grass cannot compete.
Set realistic expectations. Expect big improvement in one season and steady gains in the second. Mowing at the proper height helps too. Our guide on how often to mow in Wilmington’s climate covers that.
Here’s a typical example. A St. Augustine lawn in Carolina Beach runs sprinklers every morning. Dollarweed spreads from a low corner near a downspout. The owner sprays twice, and the weeds return. The fix has three parts. Cut watering to two deep cycles a week, extend the downspout, and treat with a grass-safe herbicide in spring. By the next summer, the patch has shrunk to a few plants that are easy to pull.
Should You Hire a Pro or Do It Yourself?
DIY works for small patches, known grass types, and simple drainage fixes. Hire a pro if dollarweed covers large areas, your grass is centipede or St. Augustine, or you can’t pin down the water source. A wrong spray can cost more than a service visit.
The product is affordable. The hard parts are diagnosing the wet spots and choosing a safe herbicide. Our weed control services include grass-safe treatment. Read our lawn care cost guide and our pricing page to compare. We serve Carolina Beach and nearby communities. Contact us for a free quote when you’re ready.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dollarweed in Wilmington
Final Thoughts
Back to that rainy day four. Those lily pad leaves aren’t a mystery. They’re a map. They point straight to the wet spots that need attention.
Here’s your priority list. First, cut back your watering and run a catch-can test. Second, fix leaks and drainage. Third, pull small patches by hand. Fourth, treat the rest with a herbicide that’s safe for your grass type, in mild weather.
We predict more Wilmington homeowners will move toward smart controllers and rain sensors, because storms and water bills keep rising.