Virginia Buttonweed and Doveweed in Wilmington, NC: How to Beat Both
It’s July in Wilmington. Your St. Augustine lawn looked fine in May. Now a patch near the sprinkler head has bright, rubbery leaves and tiny blue flowers. A few feet away, a mat of star-flowered vines is smothering the grass.
You spray what you have in the garage. The grass yellows. The weeds barely notice.
Here’s what nobody tells you. These two weeds are not the same, and they don’t respond to the same plan. One is a perennial that comes back every spring. The other is an annual that reseeds itself by the thousands. Treat them like crabgrass and you’ll lose.
This guide covers Virginia buttonweed and doveweed in Wilmington NC. You’ll learn how to tell them apart, why they love our wet summers, and which herbicides are safe for your grass. It’s October, so you also get a plan for next spring.
The Short Version
Here’s the quick summary before we dig in.
- Virginia buttonweed is a perennial that spreads by seed and underground stems.
- Doveweed is a summer annual that spreads by seed and creeping stolons.
- Both thrive in wet soil and both resprout from leftover pieces, so pulling rarely works.
- Start buttonweed control in spring. Older plants resist herbicides by late summer.
- Expect two to three seasons of work for stubborn infestations.
What Are Virginia Buttonweed and Doveweed?
- Virginia buttonweed is a perennial broadleaf weed that forms dense mats and smothers turf by late summer. Doveweed is a summer annual with creeping stolons that mimics St. Augustine and centipede. Both love moisture, which makes Wilmington’s humid summers ideal for them.
- The Clemson Home and Garden Information Center explains that buttonweed can take over fast if you skip spring treatment. Clemson’s doveweed factsheet adds that doveweed management may take two to three years of pre-emergent and post-emergent work.
- Wilmington’s long, warm growing season gives both weeds months to spread. Summer storms and coastal humidity keep soil damp. Thin or stressed turf leaves open space. That’s all they need.
How Do You Tell Them Apart?
- Look at the leaves, flowers, and growth habit. Virginia buttonweed has opposite, lance shaped leaves and small white, star shaped flowers. Doveweed has glossy, rubbery, light green leaves and small blue to purple flowers. Correct identification decides which product you can safely use.
Feature | Virginia buttonweed | Doveweed |
Life cycle | Perennial | Summer annual |
Spreads by | Seed and underground stems | Seed and creeping stolons |
Leaves | Opposite, lance shaped | Glossy, rubbery, light green |
Flowers | Small, white, star shaped | Small, blue to purple |
Look in the lawn | Dense mats that smother turf | Sprawling stolons that mimic St. Augustine or centipede |
If you’re not sure, pull one stem and look at the stolon and the flower. Then compare it with the photos on the Clemson pages. Our guide on crabgrass versus centipede grass in Wilmington shows how easily lookalikes fool homeowners.
Can You Pull Them by Hand?
Rarely. Clemson says pieces of roots and stolons left behind can resprout, so hand pulling doveweed is ineffective. Virginia buttonweed spreads by seed and underground stems, so pulling leaves plenty behind. Use hand removal only for a few tiny, brand new sprouts.
Here’s the mistake people repeat. They spend a Saturday pulling, then watch the patch double by August. Every broken stem becomes a new plant. Pulling feels productive, but it’s mostly a gift to the weed.
If you do pull, bag everything. Never compost stems with seed or roots attached.
How Do You Control Virginia Buttonweed?
Start in spring when plants are young and growing. Celsius WG gives good to excellent control, and metsulfuron products give good control. Spot treat patches instead of blanketing the lawn. Expect repeat treatments over two years, because older plants resist herbicides by late summer.
Here’s the plan Clemson and the University of Georgia support:
- Begin treatment in spring as buttonweed comes out of dormancy. Young seedlings die more easily and can’t form large mats.
- Use a selective post-emergent product for your grass type. Celsius WG, metsulfuron, and three-way products with 2,4-D, dicamba, mecoprop, and carfentrazone are common choices.
- Repeat as the label allows. University of Georgia research suggests a second Celsius pass four to six weeks later can help with regrowth.
- Spot treat the worst patches. Heavy mats may need glyphosate, then re-sodding.
- Keep treating for two seasons.
The University of Georgia turf report found that most pre-emergent herbicides give poor control of buttonweed. Don’t count on pre-emergent alone. Clemson also notes that, aside from Celsius, you shouldn’t apply post-emergent herbicides during spring green-up. Read your label for timing.
Here’s our strong opinion. Start early. Waiting until July is the most common reason buttonweed wins.
How Do You Control Doveweed?
Use atrazine on St. Augustine and centipede, or Celsius WG on most warm-season grasses. Add a spring pre-emergent and a repeat in early summer to stop seed. Avoid treating in heat above 90 degrees or during drought. Expect two to three seasons for heavy infestations.
Clemson rates atrazine as good to excellent on doveweed in centipede and St. Augustine, and it also works as a pre-emergent. Three-way products offer fair to good control, and the label calls for a reduced rate on centipede and St. Augustine. Celsius WG is another broad choice.
Because doveweed is an annual, the seed bank matters. Clemson recommends a pre-emergent in spring and a repeat in early summer to stop seeds from sprouting. Our month-by-month pre-emergent calendar shows how this fits with your crabgrass plan.
Here’s the catch. Heat and drought stress raise the risk of turf injury. Sources suggest holding atrazine when temperatures run above about 90 degrees. Wilmington summers get there often, so plan treatments for late spring and early summer.
Which Herbicide Is Safe for Your Grass Type?
Match the product to your grass. Celsius WG covers bermuda, zoysia, centipede, and St. Augustine. Atrazine suits only St. Augustine and centipede. Metsulfuron products suit bermuda and zoysia best. Read the label every time, because rates and heat limits change.
Grass type | Good options | Watch out |
St. Augustine | Celsius WG, atrazine for doveweed, three-way at reduced rate | Extreme heat can cause temporary growth regulation |
Centipede | Celsius WG, atrazine for doveweed, three-way at reduced rate | Metsulfuron plus dicamba can stunt growth for two to three weeks |
Bermuda | Celsius WG, metsulfuron products, three-way products | Atrazine can damage growing bermuda |
Zoysia | Celsius WG, metsulfuron products, three-way products | Follow label rates closely |
Here’s the honest take. Celsius WG is the most versatile for mixed warm-season lawns, and it handles both weeds. It costs more than a basic three-way product, and it needs a surfactant. Atrazine is cheap and effective on doveweed in St. Augustine and centipede. It’s also the product people overuse in summer heat. Three-way products work, but the reduced rates on centipede and St. Augustine can limit results.
Not sure what you’re growing? Our guides on St. Augustine, centipede, bermuda, and zoysia help you identify your turf.
What Is the Year-Round Plan?
Fix wet conditions in fall and winter, treat buttonweed in spring, add pre-emergent for doveweed in spring and early summer, and spot treat in summer. Timing matters more than product choice for both weeds.
When | Virginia buttonweed | Doveweed |
October to March | Fix drainage and thicken turf | Dethatch if thatch exceeds half an inch |
April and May | Start post-emergent on young plants | First pre-emergent application |
Late May to June | Repeat as the label allows | Repeat pre-emergent in early summer |
July and August | Spot treat only. Older plants resist | Post-emergent below 90 degrees if needed |
September | Plan next spring | Plants die at frost |
Treat the dates as targets. Let your soil, your grass, and the label make the final call.
How Do You Stop Them From Coming Back?
Dense, healthy turf is your best defense. Water deeply and less often, aerate compacted soil, mow at the right height, and feed on schedule. Weeds only win where turf is thin and soil stays wet.
Both weeds love moisture, just like dollarweed and nutsedge. Our guides on how to get rid of dollarweed and nutsedge control in Wilmington cover the water fixes in detail.
Here’s your checklist.
- Cut irrigation to deep, infrequent cycles.
- Fix leaks, low spots, and downspouts. Lawn aeration helps compacted areas drain.
- Mow at the right height. See our guide on how often to mow in Wilmington’s climate.
- Feed on schedule. Follow our post on when to fertilize your lawn in Wilmington.
Here’s a typical example. A centipede lawn in Hampstead has a wet corner where doveweed returns every July. The owner treats the leaves but never fixes the drainage. The next year, the owner extends a downspout, cuts irrigation, applies a spring pre-emergent, and spot treats in early summer. By the following July, the patch is a fraction of its old size.
Should You Hire a Pro or Do It Yourself?
DIY works if you know your grass type, can ID the weed, and can follow label rates and heat limits. Hire a pro if buttonweed has formed mats, your lawn is centipede or St. Augustine, or past sprays failed. Two seasons of correct timing beats one season of guesses.
Products are affordable. The hard part is identification, grass safety, and timing. Our weed control services include grass-safe treatment plans. Read our lawn care cost guide and our pricing page to compare. We also serve Leland and nearby areas. Contact us for a free quote when you’re ready.
Frequently Asked Questions About Virginia Buttonweed and Doveweed
Final Thoughts
Back to that July patch near the sprinkler. It wasn’t bad luck. It was a wet spot, thin turf, and two weeds that knew exactly where to land.
Here’s your priority list. First, identify which weed you have. Second, fix watering and drainage this winter. Third, mark April for buttonweed and spring for pre-emergent. Fourth, use a product that’s safe for your grass.
We predict more Wilmington homeowners will move to spring-first weed plans, because late summer treatment keeps losing to older, tougher plants.