Jamaican Crabgrass

Digitaria horizontalis

Found in roadsides, sandy areas, other disturbed areas. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you

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Not native

Not native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 24%

Soil moisture: Somewhat dry to average

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At a glance

Not yet recorded · Height · Spread · Light · Life cycle · Leaves · Bloom

This plant is missing most of its facts, so Quercus is looking them up in old botany books.

Recorded in 1 Alabama county.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

27CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

Genus host records with ranges including AL · Digitaria

Abagrotis magnicupidaOne-Dotted Dart
Agrotis ipsilonIpsilon Dart, Black Cutworm, Greasy Cutworm
Anicla infectaGreen Cutworm Moth
Atalopedes huronSachem
Dargida rubripennisThe Pink-Streak
Elasmopalpus lignosellaLesser Cornstalk Borer
Fissicrambus mutabilisStriped Webworm, Striped Sodworm, Changeable Grass-Veneer
Hedone vibexWhirlabout
Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
Hesperia attalusDotted Skipper

Show all 27

Hylephila phyleusFiery Skipper
Hypena scabraGreen Cloverworm Bomolocha, Black Snout
Leucania subpunctataWhite-Dotted Wainscot, Forage Armyworm
Leucania ursulaUrsula Wainscot
Lon zabulonZabulon Skipper
Maliattha synochitisBlack-Dotted Lithacodia, Black-Dotted Glyph, Brass-Dotted Grass Moth
Marimatha nigrofimbriaBlack-Bordered Lemon
Marimatha tripunctaThree-Spotted Lemon
Mocis latipesSmall Mocis, Striped Grass Looper
Mocis texanaTexas Mocis
Mythimna unipunctaArmyworm Moth, White Speck
Polites othoSouthern Broken-Dash, Broken-Dash Skipper
Polites themistoclesTawny-Edged Skipper
Protodeltote muscosulaLarge Mossy Lithacodia, Large Mossy Glyph, Large Mossy Grass Moth
Redectis vitreaWhite-Spotted Redactis
Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

—BeesSoutheastern regional records

—Specialist beesPollen specialists

21BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Digitaria

Agelaius phoeniceusRed-winged Blackbird
Anthus rubescensAmerican Pipit
Calcarius lapponicusLapland Longspur
Calcarius pictusSmith's Longspur
Cardinalis cardinalisNorthern Cardinal
Colinus virginianusNorthern Bobwhite
Columba liviaRock Pigeon
Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
Melospiza melodiaSong Sparrow
Melozone crissalisCalifornia Towhee

Show all 21

Molothrus aterBrown-headed Cowbird
Peucaea aestivalisBachman's Sparrow
Plectrophenax nivalisSnow Bunting
Porzana carolinaSora
Quiscalus quisculaCommon Grackle
Spizella passerinaChipping Sparrow
Spizella pusillaField Sparrow
Sturnus vulgarisEuropean Starling
Tympanuchus pallidicinctusLesser Prairie-Chicken
Vireo belliiBell's Vireo
Vireo olivaceusRed-eyed Vireo

Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Poaceae

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Conservation status

Alabama rank	SNR
Global rank	Not available
AL status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source

Native alternatives

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