Quackgrass
/ˈkwækˌɡræs/noun
A common perennial weed grass with creeping rhizomes, especially Elymus repens.
Did you know?The first element is not from a magical “quack” sound; it likely comes from an old dialect word related to tough, wiry grass, while the plant’s hidden power is its relentless rhizome network.
Etymological Timeline
Old English / Middle English
English
cwic
“Living, alive; also used in names for vigorous or fast-growing plants”
Middle English / dialectal
English
quacke
“A regional word for coarse grass or reed-like growth, later associated with the plant name”
18th–19th Century
English
quack grass
“A common name for a troublesome creeping grass weed”
Modern English
English
quackgrass
“The standard compound name for Elymus repens, a persistent rhizomatous weed grass”