Manycommon weedshave “weed” in their name, like ragweed, knotweed, and chickweed.
Weeds are often thought of as nuisance plants that invade lawns and gardens.
Poisonous orextremely invasive weedsare best removed, while other weeds may be more welcome around your home.
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You will not find it trailing over the ground or climbing trees, as you sometimes findpoison ivy.
you might dig and pull, smother, or use herbicide.
Warning
Every part of the poison sumac plant is poisonous and can cause serious rashes if touched.
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This highly invasive plant spreads via rhizomes.
In addition to mixing with lawn grass, it’s often found growing in cracks in yourhardscape.
In doesn’t appear until the weather gets hot.
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How to control it:Being an annual weed, crabgrass perpetuates itself via seedmillions of seeds.
To control crabgrass, you’ll need to address the issue in spring when the plant is most vulnerable.
If that doesn’t work, use a post-emergent herbicide.
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Dandelions (Leontodon taraxacum)
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Dandelions are a harbinger of spring.
Theirbright yellow flowersoften poke up through lawns and appear between cracks in driveways and sidewalks.
How to control it:Keeping dandelion seeds from germinating won’t be enough to eliminate the plants.
The Spruce / Candace Madonna
Since the taproot is long, however, this can be difficult work.
How to control it:Pull or dig up plantain weeds.
Keep pulling them up before they can produce seeds.
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Eventually, the plant will give up.
It may seem like a continuous process, but persistence is key.
If you’re an allergy sufferer, common ragweed is a major source of sniffles.
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How to control it:Ragweed can’t tolerate constant mowing or rich soils.
Maintain a healthy, mowed lawn in its place on a regular feeding schedule to keep ragweed at bay.
It’s mainly a problem in the agricultural Midwest United States.
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Its seeds can also live 10 years in the soil.
This plant is a crop killer.
To keep it at bay, keep lawns healthy.
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Healthy grasses can keep giant ragweed from taking over.
Tilling stands of seedlings can also disrupt their life cycle.
If herbicide is necessary, employ a pre-emergent herbicide in the spring (Atrazine).
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But this is no innocuous weed.
If you let hedge bindweed get out of control, this vine will soon entangle everything in your garden.
Also, apply herbicides or landscape fabric on top of it to smother it.
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It needs light to grow, although it can remain dormant for up to five years.
Ground ivy is also used as a medicinal herb.
How to control it:If you have a small area, dig and pull to remove this weed.
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It may be somewhat ineffective since stems or roots left behind can continue to grow and spread.
Being persistent can lead to successful eradication.
How to control it:This plant is best managed by hand pulling.
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Wear gloves to protect your hands from the stinging hairs on the plant stems.
Also, perform close mowing to prevent the plant from developing its fruit.
Be aware that curly dock is toxic.
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How to control it:you might control curly dock by tilling and uprooting this plant.
Mowing will prevent seed production and reduce top growth.
If it becomes problematic, apply a post-emergent herbicide in the fall.
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you might also apply herbicides in the spring.
Curly dock is poisonous and should not be eaten.
Wild Madder (Galium mollugo)
Wild madder is, like sweet woodruff, in theGaliumgenus.
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Wild madder is also called “bedstraw.”
People used to use this weed as a bedding material.
How to control it:Bedstraw plants will flower, set seed, and spread seed if left alone.
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Till and rotate the soil to kill perennial crowns and new seedlings.
In addition to white clover, red clover (Trifolium pratense) is also common.
Both have three leaves that contain a lighter marking in the middle.
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But red clover has a reddish-pink flower.
In large, landscaped areas, herbicides may also be necessary.
It can survive many years in the soil, sometimes making eradication difficult.
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Less commonly, the plant has yellow flowers.
Bittersweet (Celastrus)
There are three plants called “bittersweet.”
American bittersweet is harmless, but Oriental bittersweet is an aggressively growing invasive weed that can harm your trees.
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Bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) is related to the tomato but is highly toxic.
Horsetail Weed (Equisetum arvense)
There’s more than one kind of “horsetail.
Equisetum hyemale, by contrast, is a more useful horsetail plant to the landscaper.
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It is an architectural plant that can be employed as an accent around water features.
It’s weedy because it can grow in a wide range of soils.
It thrives in acidic soils.
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It produces approximately 800 seeds and takes up to 8 years to eradicate.
it’s possible for you to also use a pre-emergent herbicide in early spring.
It reaches 2 to 4 feet tall, with flowers budding in July and August.
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It spreads via rhizomatous roots or wind-blown seeds.
Its horizontal roots may extend 15 feet, and its vertical roots may go up to 15 feet deep.
This weed’s seeds remain viable for up to four years in the soil.
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When first spotted, remove it by hoe before it becomes well-rooted.
You might also need an herbicide applied for about two years to remove this thistle effectively.
Quackgrass (Elymus repens)
Quackgrassis a creeping, persistent perennial grass with rough, blue-green blades.
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It forms a heavy mat in the soil and reproduces with seeds.
It can grow up to 3 feet tall.
Quackgrass also has very deep rhizomatous roots.
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How to control it:Maintain a dense, healthy lawn to keep this weed at bay.
Dig out this fast-growing grass, including the roots, as soon as you see it in your garden.
It’s easiest to pull when the soil is moist.
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A non-selective herbicide like glyphosate can be used to control a small infestation in the garden.
It produces heart-shaped seedpods with seeds that remain viable for several years in the ground.
This plant aggressively reseeds itself.
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Afterward, mulch about 3 inches deep.
Otherwise, use an herbicide (MCPA or 2,4-D) in early spring before it can flower.
It produces yellow cup-like flowers with five petals from mid-spring to fall.
The Spruce / Marty Baldwin
How to control it:Common yellow woodsorrel is best managed by hand weeding and mulching.
It pulls up easily and does not rebound from roots left behind.
Remove plants before seed pods develop.
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Most herbicides are ineffective, but you could try pre-emergent herbicides to prevent germination.
How to control it:To control it, keep your lawn thick and healthy.
If some mallow seeds sprout, pull young plants before they go to seed.
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The roots go deep and can spread up to 2 feet.
you could also use pre-emergent and post-emergent herbicides to control it.
The seeds can sometimes even survive for decades in the soil.
The Spruce / Marty Baldwin
How to control it:Pull or remove it with a sharp hoe before it goes to seed.
It has a short taproot, so it pulls up easily.
The plants die with the first frost and next years plants grow from the seeds they leave behind.
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How to control it:Pull out this weed before it flowers.
Nutsedge (Cyperus spp.)
They produce light brown or reddish flowers and black or brown seeds.
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you’ve got the option to identify them by their triangular stems.
Roll the stems between your fingers, and you’ll understand the saying, “sedges have edges.”
In contrast, grasses have round stems.
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Shiny, smooth nutsedge leaves have a distinct center rib and form a “V” shape.
Remove these plants as soon as you’ve identified them; do not allow them to develop tubers.
Tubers develop about four to six weeks after the shoot.
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Dayflower (Commelina spp.)
Dayflower is related tospiderwort plants(Tradescantiaspp.).
This plant can make a pretty groundcover, but is considered invasive in some states.
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Dayflowers are tough to eradicate because they are resistant to weed killers and can regrow quickly from broken stems.
It’s also tricky because it looks like a healthy, wide-leaf grass when it first sprouts.
you’re free to also hand pull or use a non-selective post-emergent herbicide.
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It is self-pollinating, so it doesn’t require pollinators to set seed.
It spreads via seeds that can persist in the soil for over 60 years.
How to control it:Single plants can be easily pulled or dug up before they go to seed.
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Mulch your garden to prevent velvetleaf, or use a pre-emergent herbicide in spring.
Do not till or plow infested areas because this promotes seed germination.
Crop rotation can stop velvetleaf from returning.
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It has heart-shaped leaves and purple, white, or yellow flowers in late spring or early summer.
How to control it:Mulch garden beds in spring to prevent wild violet.
Properly fertilize, mow, and water lawns to encourage dense growth that discourages wild violets from taking hold.
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Pull weeds by hand or spray with a post-emergent herbicide in spring or fall.
Its stems are divided into swollen segments called knees covered with pale green sheaths.
The leaves have smooth edges and sparse hairs on the surface.
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This native North American plant has pink or white flowers in the summer and fall.
How to control it:It reproduces from seeds.
Pull plant by hand or apply a post-emergent herbicide once it grows.
John Robert McPherson/ Wikimedia Commons /CC BY-SA 4.0
To prevent this weed, mulch garden beds in spring.
It has jagged, hairy leaves and small white daisy-like flowers in the summer.
How to control it:Use a mulch or a pre-emergent herbicide in spring to prevent quickweed.
This garden weed has light green leaves, clusters of white flowers in summer, and dark purple berries.
It has a large, fleshy taproot and reproduces by seed.
A single plant can produce 1,500 to 7,000 seeds annually.
How to control it:Prevent pokeweed with a deep layer of mulch.
Once the plant grows, hand-pull or spot-treat it with an herbicide.
If allowed to establish, it will develop an extensive root system that will need to be dug out.
If removing, bag its berries so they can’t reach the soil.
It is susceptible to many of the same pests and diseases as other nightshade plants.
How to control it:Mulch your garden to prevent black nightshade.
Pull the weed by hand or treat it with a post-emergent herbicide.
It has creeping stems, clover-like leaves, and small yellow flowers.
It develops a long taproot that grows deeply.
It can overtake weak grass since it spreads easily by seed.
How to control it:It has difficulty establishing itself in dense, well-kept lawns.
Spread mulch to prevent black medic in gardens.
Pull or dig out weeds by hand before it blooms and sets seed.
It should be easy to pull when the soil is moist.
Never touch this plant since its oil can cause a severe allergic reaction.
How to control it:Prevent poison ivy with a deep layer of mulch.
Carefully invert the plastic bag around the plant, seal it, and throw it away.
It does not do well with repeated tilling, cutting, or mowing.
An identifying feature is the white midvein of the leaf.
Showy flowerheads/seedheads appear at the top of the stem.
These heads often mature to a purplish color.
For prevention in lawn areas, focus on promoting a vigorous lawn through proper fertilization and irrigation practices.
Mowing frequently will ensure that barnyard grass never has a chance to go to seed.
Otherwise, the two weeds are similar.
For prevention in the lawn, promote a lush lawn by overseeding, fertilizing, and watering during droughts.
Its bright green leaf blades grow in tufts.
Its greenish-white seedheads will help you identify it.
Also, as for other weedy grasses, sound lawn care practices can prevent it.
If prevention fails, apply a pre-emergent herbicide in late summer or early fall.
It then blooms in spring and goes to seed (after which it dies).
The weed grows in low rosettes.
The small flowers are white, with four petals.
To control it, ensure that it doesnotgo to seed.
Both are in the mint family, which is known to spread like wildfire.
To identify it, notice that henbit has rounded leaves that hug the stem.
How to control it:Henbit spreads mainly by seed.
Since henbit prefers cool, moist areas, be sure to growshade-tolerant grassessuch as fescue (Festucaspp.)
in shaded areas.This will help your grass out-compete henbit for light, nutrients, and water.
Also called spurweed or stickerweed, lawn burweed is another winter annual.
This low-growing weed has opposite leaves, divided into leaflets.
How to control it:This is another weed you must stop by preventing seed production.
Apply a pre-emergent herbicide in the fall or a post-emergent herbicide in the winter.
Its Y-shaped seedhead is a distinguishing feature.
The most common weeds are actually grasses.
These grasses are called “true grasses” and often grow as a single leaf emerging from the soil.
They can be found in lawns and in garden beds.
The most invasive weeds are Japanese barberry, musk thistle, round leaf bittersweet, and spotted knapweed.
The most difficult pop in of weed to get rid of is bindweed.
Digitaria Sanguinalis.North Carolina State University.
Gonzalez-Castejon, Marta, et al.Diverse Biological Activities of Dandelion.Nutrition Reviews, vol.
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Ragweed Pollen Allergy: Burden, Characteristics, and Management of an Imported Allergen Source in Europe.
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Kikuchi, Masao, et al.Glycosides from Whole Plants of Glechoma Hederacea L.Journal of Natural Medicines, vol.
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Bittersweet Nightshade Identification and Control.King County Agriculture.
Common Horsetail (Equisetum Arvense).United States Department of Agriculture.
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Henbit, Lamium amplexicaule.Wisconsin Horticulture, Division of Extension.
