Also known as Indian chickweed or whorled chickweed, this annual weed''s smooth, prostrate stems form circular mats up to 20 inches across, crowding out desirable plants. Small white flowers bloom from June to November. They produce orange-red, kidney-shape seeds that lie dormant in the soil over the winter and sprout slowly in the spring. The plants develop a short taproot and grow rapidly in summer heat. Carpetweed prefers fertile, dry, sandy or gravelly soil in lawns and gardens and along walkways.
If the lawn is kept vigorous through good fertilizing and mowing practices, carpetweed should not be a problem. It can also be hand-pulled or hoed.