How can you visually distinguish crabgrass infestation from drought stress on a turf lawn in midsummer?

• A. Crabgrass shows light-green, broad, sprawling patches with a different leaf texture and possible seedheads; drought stress shows uniform yellowing or browning with footprints visible on the turf
• B. Crabgrass patches are dark green and tufted; drought stress shows purple coloring
• C. Crabgrass patches are more uniform and green; drought stress shows seedheads only
• D. Crabgrass patches show circular rings; drought stress shows wilt only

Answer: (C)

In midsummer, telling crabgrass from drought comes down to growth pattern and color cues. Crabgrass appears as light-green, broad blades that spread across the lawn, forming patchy, sprawling mats. If allowed to grow, it often produces seedheads that rise above the turf. Drought-stressed turf, on the other hand, turns yellow to brown more uniformly where the water is lacking, and you can often see footprints or compression marks from people or pets on the turf rather than new green growth.

So the description that matches these cues—crabgrass being light-green, broad, sprawling patches with potential seedheads, and drought stress showing uniform yellowing or browning with footprints—best reflects what you’d expect to see. The other descriptions mix up growth form or misstate what drought or crabgrass looks like (for example, seedheads aren’t a drought symptom, and crabgrass isn’t typically uniform and dark-green).