​​Why You Don't Want To Find Florida Snow In Your Lawn (& How To Get Rid Of It)

Imagine living in Florida or anywhere in the southeast U.S. and waking up to a cloud of white (reminiscent of snow) punctuating your lawn. Is Mother Nature gifting you her personal version of creative Christmas decorations? Clearly not, for those things aren't flurries but wildflowers: Florida snow (Richardia scabra), to be exact. Though, to a lawn purist, they'll appear like weeds out in vengeance to destroy their lush carpet — and nobody wants to battle lawn weeds!

Going by several other names, such as Florida pusley and Mexican clover, Florida snow is a low-growing, prostrate weed that takes over thinning or dying lawns and bare landscape beds, and it can indicate a problem with your lawn health and maintenance. As a seedling, it supports viscous, tear-shaped green blades atop red-tinged stems. However, the leaves may adopt a more lance-like form depending on sun exposure. As the stems hover 30 inches above the ground, they get topped by petite, tubular white flowers that bees appreciate — as would you were it a meadow or a mixed mowable lawn. But since flowers are usually unwelcome in green monocultures, getting rid of them may be important to you. To do that, you must employ a mix of measures involving frequent mowing and chemical control.

Generally, Florida snow isn't sturdy enough to outcompete properly-maintained, healthy grasses. Nor can it find space in mulched beds. But when it does, it's time to pay attention to what the weeds growing in your yard say about your soil. One possible rationale is that the lawn is water-stressed, owing to inadequate rainfall or underwatering, particularly during fall months. Or worse, nematodes are slowly eating away at the grassy roots, leaving thinning and balding patches in their wake. Another plausible reason for Florida snow to take over entails poor lawn management practices. So, if you've been mowing your lawn at the wrong height, perhaps even scalping it by removing more than ⅓ of the blades in a single session, it may already be stressed and going bare where it took the most damage. Improper fertilization practices or disease management may similarly leave your turf unhealthy, providing weeds adequate room for colonization.

The problem gets worse as Florida snow gets time to settle in. Its gorgeous white blooms birth wart-like fruits that explode into numerous tiny seeds, ready to germinate straightaway. It's no wonder they stick to lawn care equipment and have a gala time moving away from their tiny patch and blooming throughout the yard. Indeed, so long the mercury hovers between 68 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit and the seeds remain on the surface soil, Florida snow will persist on your (and maybe even your neighbor's) turf. Rarely, they may spread vegetatively.

Since Florida snow is lovely in all its pearl-white beauty and keeps pollinators pleased, it's acceptable to leave it to its own devices as an ecosystem and biodiversity service. However, if it fits your bill of a pesky weed, it's time to bring your A-game to mowing. One of the least harmful ways to kill weeds in your lawn is to trim down the dainty flowers before they produce seeds, stemming their spread any further. Alternatively, you can rely on prodiamine, oryzalin, or pendimethalin-based pre-emergent herbicides to stave off seed germination.

But if the infestation has grown out of control, consider post-emergent herbicides based on 2,4-D or in combination with dicamba. Bear in mind that multiple applications will be necessary if the weeds are already mature since they must've rooted deeply. Also, follow the label, as 2,4-D is mostly restricted to zoysia, bahia, and bermudagrasses. For St. Augustine lawns, switch to dicamba-based products like Prime Source's Celsius WG Easy Mix Packet. Since it's a professional-grade product and requires ample care during mixing and application, it's best to call in the pros to do the job. Metsulfuron-based herbicides are also admissible. Going forward, follow the essential practices to keep your lawn healthy. This means watering, fertilizing, and mowing at the right time, apart from keeping on top of any lawn diseases and pests that may leave the dirt exposed.