Common Couch Weed

Mullumbimby couch about the weed.

Common couch weed. They are very common in a variety of soil types especially after having been recently disturbed. The weed has tough long rhizomes which are red to purple in colour and stems that are triangular in cross section. Common couch is a native perennial grass found throughout the british isles. Elymus repens commonly known as couch grass is a very common perennial species of grass native to most of europe asia the arctic biome and northwest africa.

Common hybrid couch couch is one of the most popular lawns in australia and has been so for a long time. Cynodon dactylon is very widely distributed throughout the world and its exact origin is unknown. It grows on most soil types except those with a low ph. A low hairy perennial with spoon shaped leaves and white multi petalled flower heads often tinged with pink tips rising from the basal rosette.

The onion couch form has a much more restricted distribution as an arable weed being largely confined to southern and central england. If growing through light friable garden soil it is relatively easy to remove by following the roots and gently pulling them out. A variant of false oat grass which is abundant throughout the uk in field margins hedgerows rough grassland and waste ground. Purslanes and portulaca are a low growing 0 to 200mm high a prostrate to decumbent often flowing succulent annual weed.

It has been brought into other mild northern climates for forage or erosion control but is often considered a weed. Couch grass bermuda grass quickgrass twitch grass. A common weed in lawns. Stems and runners are normally soft and pink to brown in colour.

Mullumbimby couch grows year round and is a mat forming grass like plant with long underground runners and upright flowering stems measuring up to 40cm in height. Leaves are easy to burn with vinegar. Bulbosum onion couch. Couch grass or skutch grass couch or skutch grass is very common in most gardens and is very likely to be seen in ground which has been compacted or over cultivated at any stage.

It prefers heavier land but is able to spread more readily in lighter soils. Couch has a fine leaf and has a dark green colour has high durability and is very drought tolerant and occurs natively in many areas all these factors contribute to its popularity.