What Florida Betony (Rattlesnake Weed) looks like
An upright mint-family plant with a square hairy stem, opposite lance-shaped leaves with scalloped edges, and pale pink to white trumpet flowers speckled with purple; pull one up and you will find crisp white segmented underground tubers that look exactly like a rattlesnake's rattle, which is the dead giveaway.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
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Best approach: Herbicide spray
In the lawn, spray on the cool-season schedule matched to your grass type — do not count on digging, because betony regrows from segmented white tubers up to 8 inches deep and any fragment you miss starts a new plant. In flower beds, where you cannot spray, dig carefully and get every tuber, then hold the ground with 2-4 inches of mulch.
Best products for Florida Betony (Rattlesnake Weed)
Formulated to kill florida betony (rattlesnake weed) without wiping out your grass — see the timing and chemistry below.
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BioAdvanced All-In-One Weed & Feed (22-0-4)
✓ Kills florida betony (rattlesnake weed)Beginner friendly
Scotts Turf Builder Triple Action1
✓ Kills florida betony (rattlesnake weed)Beginner friendlyPrevents crabgrass for up to 4 months, kills dandelion, clover and other listed broadleaf weeds, and feeds. Apply to wet grass, no more than twice a year. Not for St. Augustine. Its label allows centipede, but centipede does better with a stand-alone weed killer and a lighter feeding.
Scotts Turf Builder Weed & Feed5
✓ Kills florida betony (rattlesnake weed)Beginner friendlyWeed killer plus 26-0-2 lawn food for dandelion, clover and other listed broadleaf weeds. Apply to wet grass. On bahia, wait until mid-April and the third mowing, and make fall applications before Nov 1. Not for St. Augustine. Its label allows centipede, but centipede does better with a stand-alone weed killer and a lighter feeding.
How much do you need?
Herbicide is dosed by lawn size. Pick your yard size for a quick estimate:
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When to treat Florida Betony (Rattlesnake Weed)
Spray in spring or fall when temperatures are 60–80°F and the weed is actively growing. Avoid summer heat — stressed grass takes collateral damage.
Chemical treatment
Treat in the cool months only (mid-late October, again mid-late February) for two years running — betony only grows while it is cool. On bermuda, zoysia, bahia and tall fescue use a three-way 2,4-D + dicamba + MCPP, making the February pass while warm-season grass is still fully dormant (three-ways burn bermuda and zoysia during spring green-up). On centipede and St. Augustine ONLY, use atrazine instead — 2,4-D and dicamba injure both — and choose a liquid atrazine, not an atrazine weed-and-feed, which can cause winter injury on centipede in late fall. Never put atrazine on any other lawn: it damages or kills tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, ryegrass, fine fescue, bermuda, zoysia and bahia. Skip pre-emergents entirely; they do nothing to betony.
Non-chemical management
In flower beds, dig out every one of the white tubers, since any piece left behind sprouts a new plant, then hold the ground with 2-4 inches of mulch. In the lawn, thick well-fed turf mowed at the right height slows it down considerably.
How to stop Florida Betony (Rattlesnake Weed) coming back
Check nursery plants, topsoil and fill dirt before bringing them in, since betony spreads mainly on tubers hidden in container soil.
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What does Florida Betony (Rattlesnake Weed) look like?
An upright mint-family plant with a square hairy stem, opposite lance-shaped leaves with scalloped edges, and pale pink to white trumpet flowers speckled with purple; pull one up and you will find crisp white segmented underground tubers that look exactly like a rattlesnake's rattle, which is the dead giveaway.
What's the best way to kill Florida Betony (Rattlesnake Weed)?
Herbicide spray. In the lawn, spray on the cool-season schedule matched to your grass type — do not count on digging, because betony regrows from segmented white tubers up to 8 inches deep and any fragment you miss starts a new plant. In flower beds, where you cannot spray, dig carefully and get every tuber, then hold the ground with 2-4 inches of mulch.
Is Florida Betony (Rattlesnake Weed) hard to get rid of?
Florida Betony (Rattlesnake Weed) is rated hard to control. It usually requires multiple applications and a consistent plan.
How do I stop Florida Betony (Rattlesnake Weed) coming back?
Check nursery plants, topsoil and fill dirt before bringing them in, since betony spreads mainly on tubers hidden in container soil.
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