Star of Bethlehem it is a perennial weed that spreads by seeds and bulbs. You can try digging the plant up and you might get all the bulbs but it is not easy. Speed Zone broadleaf herbicide is pretty effective,but it will take a couple of apps. at the high labeled rate.Make first app. wait 14 days (and do not mow the S of B between apps.) and make second app. and you should get pretty good control. Use SpeedZone southern for warm season grasses and SpeedZone for cool season grasses.

Timtsb- do you have any thoughts on when to put down pre emergent in NJ given the cooler weather?

joneboy - thanks for the identification. I tried digging some, and you're correct - hard to get all the bulbs. So I resorted to weed-b-gon. It may not be the best product, but it's what I had in my garage and seems to be working...slowly.

myhome2 - I'm probably not the best person to ask. This is my first Spring as a home owner. I put pre emergent down in the last week of March when temps were finally somewhat steady in the 50s-60s, but I've since spoken to a lawncare pro who said I was probably a bit early because the soil temps are cooler than air temps and crab grass doesn't germinate until soil temp is approx 60 degrees. It hasn't hurt so far, but it may lose it's effectiveness too early. Next year I'm purchasing a thermometer to stick in the ground to monitor soil temps to make sure I time it right.