Pocket BotanistPlant guide
Goosegrass.
Eleusine indica
Pronounced el-yoo-SEE-nee IN-di-kuh
Also known as Crabgrass, Crow's Foot, Crowfoot Grass, Dutch Grass, Goose Grass, India goosegrass, Indian Goose Grass, Indian Goosegrass
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Goosegrass is a tough, low growing annual grass often found in compacted soils. It forms a dense, flattened rosette that can handle heavy foot traffic. You will mostly see it as a persistent weed in lawns and pathways.
At a glance
- Care level
- Easy
- Plant type
- Annual grass
- Light
- Full sun
- Indoor light
- Direct sun
- Water
- Every 3 to 7 days
- Mature size
- 1 to 2 feet tall
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Hardiness
- USDA 8 to 11
- Bloom time
- Mid spring to late autumn
Care
This plant thrives in full sun and compacted, nutrient rich soil. Keep an eye out for its rapid spread in thin lawn areas. It is very difficult to remove once established because of its deep, sturdy roots.
- Watering
- It prefers consistently moist soil but tolerates short dry spells.
- Feeding
- It grows vigorously in fertile soil and rarely needs extra feeding.
- Pruning
- Mow or trim regularly to prevent the seed heads from forming.
- Repotting
- This plant is typically an annual and does not require repotting.
- Soil
- Compacted, moist, fertile soil
- Soil pH
- 5.0 to 8.0
- Temperature
- 10 to 35°C
- Humidity
- 40 to 80%
- Drought tolerance
- High
- Lifespan
- Annual, typically 1 year
- Deer and rabbits
- Moderate
Safety
- People
- It is generally considered non-toxic to humans.
- Children
- There are no specific safety concerns for children, though the seeds can be a minor choking hazard if ingested in large quantities.
- Contact allergens
- The rough leaf blades may cause minor skin irritation if handled frequently.
- Airborne allergens
- The pollen can be a significant allergen for sensitive individuals during the flowering season.
- Edibility
- While the seeds are sometimes consumed in famine conditions, they are not considered a standard food source and may contain anti-nutrients.
How to identify it
- Flattened, prostrate growth habit
- Whitish or silver center
- Finger like seed head spikes
- Folded leaf blades
- Strong, fibrous root system
- Height
- 0.1 to 0.6m
- Spread
- 0.15 to 0.4m
- Leaves
- green, deciduous
- Flowers
- green, 0.1 to 0.5cm
- Fruit
- brown, black, Summer to autumn
Problems to watch for
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Growing it
- Propagation
- seed
- When to plant
- spring, summer
- Overwintering
- It dies back completely with the first hard frost and does not require special winter care.
- In containers
- It grows poorly in containers due to its aggressive root system and preference for open ground.
Seed propagation
- 1. Collect mature seeds from the seed heads in late summer.
- 2. Scatter seeds onto bare, compacted soil.
- 3. Ensure the area remains moist until germination occurs.
This plant is highly competitive and usually acts as an antagonist to most garden vegetables by stealing nutrients and water.
Grows well with
- Bermuda grass · They often share similar habitats and environmental tolerances.
Similar species
- Crabgrass · It shares a similar growth habit and invasive nature in lawns.
Science
- Family
- Poaceae
- Genus
- Eleusine
- Order
- Poales
- Class
- Liliopsida
- Native range
- Tropical and subtropical regions of the world.
- Conservation
- It is widely considered an invasive weed in many parts of the world and is not of conservation concern.
It is a pioneer species that excels at colonizing disturbed, compacted soils and high-traffic areas.
- Value to wildlife
- seed source for birds, ground cover
- Pollinators
- bees, beetles
- Uses
- ground cover, soil erosion control, forage for livestock
Through the year
Ecological indicators
- Salinity
- 3/9
- Soil reaction
- 6/9
- Light
- 8/9
- Temperature
- 7/9
- Moisture
- 5/9
- Nutrients
- 6/9
Taxonomy resolved against GBIF.
Questions people ask
- Is it a good lawn grass?
- No, it is usually considered a persistent weed that ruins the uniformity of turf.
- How do I control it?
- Regular mowing prevents seed production, but manual removal of the root crown is most effective.
Where the name comes from
The name Eleusine is derived from Eleusis, the Greek town where Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, was worshipped. The specific epithet indica refers to its broad distribution across India and the tropics.
Good to know
- It is commonly known as goosegrass because geese enjoy grazing on it.
- A single plant can produce over 50,000 seeds in one season.
- Its deep, fibrous root system makes it very difficult to pull out by hand.
- It thrives in compacted soil where other plants struggle to grow.
Keep your goosegrass growing
This page is a general guide. Save your plant in Pocket Botanist and you get care reminders timed for this plant, plus a care history that shows what worked.
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This guide was generated with AI on and checked against GBIF taxonomy. It is general information, not horticultural or veterinary advice. Read about how we build these guides.