Sandbur, Locally Called Sandspur
An excerpt from the book, Holden Beach History, by John F. Holden.

When sandspurs are in the young growing stage, they resemble many other grasses. Therefore, people ignore them until the seed, which is the spur, has already formed. Different from most plants and grasses, the sandspur will grow and reproduce in poor sand.

Holden Beach did not have many sandspurs prior to Hurricane Hazel, but since that time the beach has been thoroughly infixed with these summer residents. In fact, in the early 1970s the sandspurs got so bad around some of my rental units during the months of September and October that they created serious problems.

I consulted Mr. A. F. Martin, who was Brunswick County's farm agent at the time, and asked for assistance. This was a new problem for him, so he requested North Carolina State University to help find a solution to my problem. I wanted to kill the sandspurs but I did not want to kill the Bermuda grass.

A representative of North Carolina State University asked me if I would give them permission to put an experimental project on my property here at the beach. I granted them permission and they sent two of their personnel to start. They laid out four plots; each was twenty-five feet square. Each was sprayed with a different kind of chemical. Some of the chemicals did very little good; some were too expensive; but one chemical named MSMA gave the desired results.

This chemical can be purchased from farm supply dealers. It is also manufactured by other chemical companies under other trade names.

Good control of sandspurs can be obtained by spraying twice each year. The first spraying should be done the second or third week in June, and the second spraying should be the first or second week in September. The chemicals are more effective when the ground is damp and warm, and when rain is not expected.

This chemical is not recommended to be used on Centipede grass, or St. Augustine grass. My neighbors and I have been pleased to learn the results of this chemical (MSMA). Bermuda grass is not damaged by it.