One of the best ways to identify nutgrass is by looking for the reddish-purple colour of the flower spikelets. Of course this only helps if the weed is left to grow to a size where it produces spikelets. Since it loves to sprout out of newly laid lawn you can identify it from its rapid growth and stiffer, stronger upright blades. Nutgrass will typically grow faster than the rest of the turf and will be obviously taller.
