Fortunately, with quick identification and the right removal methods, you can get ahead of the invaders and reclaim your lawn.

In this post, you’ll find a list of common low creeping lawn and the most effective strategies to remove them.

1. White Clover (Trifolium repens)

• Local Name: White Clover
• Family: Fabaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

White clover is a low growing herbaceous perennial plant that is native to Europe and Asia. You would first notice its egg-shaped, trifoliate leaves with light or dark markings before the white to pink flowers appear.

The growth of white clover in your lawn can indicate a poor nitrogen-nutrient profile. To eliminate the weed, improve lawn health through proper mowing (above 3 inches and apply nitrogen-rich fertilizer. 

You can pull out the young plants when the ground is moist or spot treat with a selective postemergent broadleaf herbicide like dicamba, 2,4-D, MCPP, and triclopyr.

2. Spotted Spurge (Euphorbia maculata)

• Local Name: Spotted Spurge or Prostrate Spurge
• Family: Euphorbiaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 

Spotted spurge is an annual low growing weed native to North America. The common lawn weed spreads about 45-60 cm along the ground. 

You can identify the weed by its slender, reddish stems and small, dark green, round to oblong leaves with reddish-purple spots in the middle. Spotted Spurge typically grows in thin lawns. 

The best way to remove small patches is through pulling or hoeing before they produce seed. Alternatively, spot treatments of selective herbicides like MCPP, 2,4-D, and dicamba can help eliminate less mature plants. 

The tip here is to deal with the weed early to avoid resorting to non-selective ingredients like glyphosate that will harm your grass. 

Ensure that you maintain a healthy turf through proper watering, mowing, and fertilization after removing the weeds to prevent regrowth.

3. Crabgrass (Digitaria ischaemum and Digitaria sanguinalis)

• Local Names: Smooth Crabgrass and Large Crabgrass
• Family: Poaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual

Both crabgrass species are pesky annual weeds that can sneak into your lawn. What makes them tricky to identify is that they grow slowly at first and easily blend in with the rest of the grass during spring. 

It’s probably in summer that you’ll notice a different light-green shade of grass that stands out against your darker-green turf. Fortunately, there are a few effective removal methods you can deploy.

Hand pulling or hand-held tools are viable options for a few stands of grass. Ensure that you reseed the gaps to prevent the growth of other weeds. 

Postemergence herbicides containing quinclorac, mestorione, and fenoxaprop provide effective control against both grasses. Ensure that you apply the product appropriate for the growth stage for the best results.

If you’re concerned that crabgrass may appear the next spring, apply a crabgrass preventer or Tenacity for newly seeded turf or dithiopyr, prodiamine, and dithiopyr for established turf.

4. Creeping Charlie (Hederacea glechoma)

• Local Name: Creeping Charlie, Creeping Jenny, Gill Over the Ground, or Ground Ivy
• Family: Lamiaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial

Creeping Charlie is a perennial weed efficient at forming dense mats in lawns. The fast-spreading weed is easily identifiable by its round to kidney-shaped leaves that produce a minty odor when crushed and purple-blue flowers. 

You’ll notice this weed in shady, moist, or thin areas of the lawn. Hand-pulling or hoeing is only viable for extremely small infestations. Make sure that you remove the entire root system and runners to avoid regrowth. 

However, due to its seed, rhizome, and stolon spreading habit, it’s a very difficult weed to control without herbicides. Use products containing 2,4-D, dicamba, triclopyr, or sulfentrazone to get rid of Creeping Jenny in lawns. Keep in mind that even herbicide applications can take years to completely eradicate the weed. 

If the weed is progressively overtaking your lawn grass despite your best efforts, it’s best to kill all the vegetation and reseed your lawn. 

5. Chickweed (Stellaria media)

• Local Name: Chickweed or Common Chickweed
• Family: Caryophyllaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 

Common Chickweed is a winter annual broadleaf that you’ll probably find in shady and moist areas of your lawn. But don’t let the small, delicate plant with tear-drop-shaped leaves and  star-like flowers fool you. It can produce an average of 25,000 seeds per plant with a viability of over 10 years. 

It is also a host to plant viruses and pest insects. This can only mean bad news for your turf, especially if it’s nitrogen-rich, as it prefers highly fertile and neutral soils.

If you’re dealing with a small infestation, hand-pulling before seed set and when the soil is moist can help eliminate the weed. For bigger infestations, consider herbicides like dicamba and triclopyr. Ensure that you check the label for indications on specific turfgrasses. 

Once removed, maintain a healthy lawn and proper drainage to discourage seed germination.

6. Purslane (Portulaca oleracea)

• Local Name: Purslane or Common Purslane
• Family: Portulaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual

You probably appreciate Common Purslane’s diverse culinary benefits but not when it’s growing on your front lawn. The low growing weed prefers invading newly seeded turf, low-maintenance lawns, or areas in the lawn under full sun.

For easy identification, look for small, flat, rubbery leaves and reddish stems that branch out of a central root. If left unchecked, Purslane can form dense mats on your lawn and quickly produce thousands of seeds that remain viable up to 40 years. 

However, since the spreading branches come off a single root, it is easy to pull by hand. Ensure you remove the entire root system and dispose of it correctly to avoid rerooting. 

Postemergence herbicides you can consider include dicamba, 2,4-D, MCPP, and MSMA. Improving your lawn practices to achieve a healthy and competitive turf can get rid of this weed problem in the following seasons.

7. Carpetweed (Mollugo verticillata)

• Local Name: Green Carpetweed, Whorled Chickweed, Indian Carpetweed, or Devil’s Grip 
• Family: Molluginaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual

As its name suggests, this summer annual weed grows close to the ground, hardly exceeding 5 inches in height. Carpetweed thrives in disturbed areas and will therefore commonly invade newly planted turf.

From a central root, it grows a circular mat of dull green leaves with variable shapes that spread in all directions, quickly forming dense mats. 

Hand pulling or digging using a garden tool is a viable option in the initial stage of the infestation. 

For larger infestations, apply herbicides containing one or more of the active ingredients like 2,4-D, dicamba, MCPP, or triclopyr on actively growing foliage for effective control.

8. Creeping Buttercup (Ranunculus repens)

• Local Name: Creeping Buttercup, Creeping Crowfoot, or Sitfast
• Family: Ranunculaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial

Picking Creeping Buttercup games are no longer fun when it’s creeping on your prized lawn. The stoloniferous weed is commonly found in thin turf, forming large patches through new plants that root at the nodes. 

To correctly identify the low growing weed, look for three lobed leaves or leaflets variable in shape, with deep sinuses and serrated margins. 

Improving lawn density through regular mowing, infrequent irrigation, and improved drainage can drastically reduce infestations. 

Postmergence herbicides like triclopyr, dicamba, MCPA, mesotrione, 2,4-D, and fluroxypyr can assist in removing the pesky weeds.

9. Virginia Buttonweed (Diodia virginiana)

• Local Name: Virginia Buttonweed or Buttonweed
• Family: Rubiaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Buttonweed is one of the most problematic low growing lawn weeds. The annual broadleaf produces deep roots and grows prostrate and spreading branches.

It is easily identifiable by its stiff, slightly thickened leaves, typically with a distinct mottled yellow appearance and occasionally hairy, longitudinally-ridged stems. 

Postemergence herbicides containing 2,4-D, dicamba, MCPP, and carfentrazone provide the best means of removing the persistent weed from your lawn for good.

10. Yellow Woodsorrel (Oxalis stricta)

• Local Name: Yellow Oxalis, Shamrock, Sheep’s Clover, or Sour Trefoil
• Family: Oxalidaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual or Short-lived Perennial

Unlike many early weed springers, the Yellow Woodsorrel prefers to fill up the gaps left by the weeds eliminated in the yard. The weed typically grows about 6 inches in height and you can identify it by its palmately compound, heart-shaped leaves. 

What makes Shamrock a tricky weed is that it can occur in poorly or highly maintained lawns, dry or moist soils, and in shady or sunny spots. 

Additionally, since they grow so close to the ground at first and can appear as individual plants or as patches, you’ll only notice them once the weeds start to flower. 

Hand pulling is easy for controlling young plants. Herbicides indicated for Yellow Oxalis include 2,4-D, dicamba, MCPP, triclopyr, and fluroxypyr.

11. Wild Violet (Viola papilionacea)

• Local Name: Purple Violet, Meadow Violet, Common Blue Violet, or Hooded Violet
• Family: Violaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Wild Violet is an aggressive low growing weed that prefers moist soils and shaded areas. The dense rhizome system allows the weed to spread quickly, forming large patches. 

You can identify it by its showy violet, blue, or white flowers and waxy, heart-shaped leaves. Wild Violet commonly invades turf that is adjacent to wooded areas. 

Removal methods include hand-pulling, with the extraction of the entire root system required. While it has shown resistance to common herbicides, repeated applications of combinations of two or more active ingredients, such as 2,4-D, dicamba, triclopyr, fluroxypyr, and flumioxazin, can help remove the weed.

12. Goosegrass (Eleusine indica)

• Local Name: Indian Goosegrass or Wiregrass
• Family: Poaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual

Goosegrass is a tropical grass that grows prostrate or slightly upright in lawns. It has flattened, branching stems that typically form a tough and clumpy growth, especially in high-traffic areas or thinning turf. 

The grass can be easily identified by its stem rosette formation with prominent  white or silver leaf sheaths at the base and dark-green folded leaf blades.

It is a problematic weed because of its prolific seed production and aggressive growth. If you’re dealing with a small infestation, hand-pulling may be effective. 

Herbicides indicated for Goosegrass control include MCPP, topramezone, fenoxaprop-p-ethyl, and dicamba. 

Sylvia Kiragu

Lead Editor for Insight Weeds.

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The post List of Low Creeping Lawn Weeds And Their Removal Methods appeared first on InsightWeeds.

Many common weeds we find in our backyards provide essential food in the form of seeds and fruits. When the leaves fall and form dense debris on the ground, they harbor insects and other crawling worms that are a protein-rich buffet for birds.

Apart from supporting their foraging habits, some of these weeds also offer temporary low-ground shelter. Ultimately, you can conclude that weeds, however troublesome, are an important part of the food chain. 

So, before you clear out these plants, read our post, and find out how much fauna they are sustaining every season. Hopefully, it helps you make more bird-friendly choices in your own backyard.

1. Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale)

• Scientific Name: Taraxacum officinale
• English Name: Dandelion or Common Dandelion
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 
• Grass, Sedge, or Broadleaf: Broadleaf

Dandelions are one of the first weeds to sprout in backyards every spring. This makes them an early food source for insects, which in turn feed insectivorous birds. 

Once the flowers set seed, their fluffy seed heads become a favorite food for birds such as the finches and sparrows. 

Additionally, dandelions also draw aphids, beetles, and ants, attracting starlings and robins for the protein-rich food.

2. Chickweed (Stellaria media)

• Scientific Name: Stellaria media
• English Name: Chickweed, Birdweed, Chickweed, Chickenwort, or Common Chickweed
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 
• Grass, Sedge, or Broadleaf: Broadleaf

The cool-annual weed is easy to recognize by its many mats in shady, moist areas. It is also known to be a chicken’s favorite, hence the name. 

Ground-feeding birds like sparrows, doves, starlings, and robins sometimes feast on the seeds and tender, succulent leaves. 

Chickweed also provides a cool mat that shelters insects (another food source), especially important for birds like Dark-Eyed Juncos during the breeding season.

3. Crabgrass (Digitaria spp.)

• Scientific Name: Digitaria spp.
• English Name: Crabgrass
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 
• Grass, Sedge, or Broadleaf: Grass

Crabgrass tops the list of the most loathed weeds in most backyards. Yet, the sheer species of birds that love the common Crabgrasses, Smooth Crabgrass (Digitaria ischaemum) and Large Crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis) is surprising. 

In late summer, for instance, its seed heads ripen into a favorite snack both for domestic birds like chickens, migrating birds like geese, and other ground-feeding birds like doves, finches, and sparrows. 

The grass blades also host insect larvae that attract young birds, including song birds who heavily rely on the larvae and other bugs during breeding season and when feeding their young.

4. Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)

• Scientific Name: Ambrosia artemisiifolia
• English Name: Ragweed, Common Ragweed, Carrot Weed, or Hay Fever Weed
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 
• Grass, Sedge, or Broadleaf: Broadleaf

Ragweed might be infamous for triggering allergies, but birds are less concerned with its negative effects, as it is one of the top backyard weeds that birds love.

Its tiny seeds are high in fat and a critical food source for many birds getting ready for migration, such as blackbirds and towhees. 

Song birds such as cardinals and goldfinches and game birds like quails, rick-necked pheasants, scaled quails, and doves also eat the oil-rich seeds in the winter. 

Ragweed seeds are, in fact, more nutritious than commercial bird seeds and readily provide energy when the birds need it most. 

5. Lamb’s Quarters (Chenopodium album)

• Scientific Name: Chenopodium album
• English Name: Lambsquarters, Goosefoot, White Goosefoot, or Pigweed
• Annual or Perennial: Annual
• Grass, Sedge, or Broadleaf: Broadleaf 

You may find lambsquarters in your garden or a newly disturbed area in your backyard. What you may not know is that the close cousin of quinoa springs up with plenty of good nutrition for birds to love. 

The weed produces an abundance of small seeds (containing iron, potassium, vitamins, and dietary fiber) that attract sparrows, goldfinches, and buntings. 

What makes Goosefoot a good foraging plant is that it also grows tall, providing both food and shelter. Their vertical structure improves bird habitat diversity in otherwise flat garden beds and lawns.

6. Shepherd’s Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris)

• Scientific Name: Capsella bursa-pastoris
• English Name: Shepherd’s Purse
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 
• Grass, Sedge, or Broadleaf: Broadleaf

This cool-weather weed is a common sight in gardens, lawns, and hedgerows. Numerous birds don’t mind its cress-like scent once the poultry are done nibbling on the leaves. 

Goldfinches, grouses, sparrows, doves, and chaffinches are some of the small birds that relish the small, heart-shaped seed pods. 

The weed also attracts pollinators, small insects, and larvae from weevils and leaf-mining flies, adding another source for insect-eating birds.

7. Foxtail (Setaria spp.)

• Scientific Name: Setaria spp.
• English Name: Foxtail 
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 
• Grass, Sedge, Broadleaf: Grass

Foxtail, an annual grass weed with a distinct, narrow, and cylindrical panicle, is another common weed that birds love. 

The bushy seed heads are a preferred food source for a variety of birds, including finches, doves, rusty blackbirds, bobwhite quails, sparrows, buntings, dickcissels, and many more.

Foxtail grasses also attract grasshoppers, fleas, stinkbugs, and aphids, which add to the variety of food birds can enjoy, especially in late summer and early fall when other food sources are declining. 

8. Plantain (Plantago major)

• Scientific Name: (Plantago major)
• English Name: Plantain, Cart Track Plant, Great Plantain, or Broad-Leaved Plantain
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 
• Grass, Sedge, Broadleaf: Broadleaf

Plantain is a common lawn and field weed that can persist through traffic, both from humans, bugs, and birds.

Its tall spikes produce over 20,000 seeds, orange to black and bitter-tasting to humans, but are a hit with sparrows, juncos, doves, and cardinals. Other birds like the ruffed grouse may also eat the leaves and stalks.  

Common Plantain’s leaves also offer ground cover and micro-shade that attracts bugs and keeps the soil cool, making it an ideal plant for foraging birds.

9. Smartweed (Persicaria pensylvanica)

• Scientific Name: Persicaria pensylvanica
• English Name: Pennyslyvannia Smartweed or Pink Smartweed
• Annual or Perennial: Annual
• Grass, Sedge, or Broadleaf: Broadleaf

Smartweed is often found in the backyard, especially in damp soil near drains or fence rows. It produces long flowers, inviting several types of insects such as bees, butterflies, flies, beetles, and wasps. 

So, apart from nibbling the black and shiny seeds the weed produces, as sparrows, mallards, and cardinals would do, they can add the protein-rich insects and amphibians that rest on flexible stems to their bounty.

10. Spotted Spurge (Euphorbia maculata)

• Scientific Name: Euphorbia maculata
• English Name: Spotted Spurge, Prostrate Spurge, or Spotted Sandmat
• Annual or Perennial: Annual
• Grass, Sedge, or Broadleaf: Broadleaf

While spurge itself is unfriendly to humans and pets, the low-growing mats are a favorite spot for pollinator insects, ants, and other insects that many birds love snacking on. 

The early and fast springer is especially beneficial to wrens, warblers, bluebirds, and robins that prefer to forage close to the ground. 

Sylvia Kiragu

Lead Editor for Insight Weeds.

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The post Backyard Weeds That Birds Love: From Dandelions to Ragweed appeared first on InsightWeeds.

However, apart from the common culprits that thrive in the nutrient-rich soils, increasing temperatures in Michigan have also encouraged more weeds to thrive across the Midwestern State. 

In this article, we’ll look at the most prevalent weeds in Michigan, how to identify them, and the best strategies to effectively remove them.

1. Common Chickweed (Stellaria media)

• Local Name: Common Chickweed
• Family: Caryophyllaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 

Common Chickweed is a small, low-growing winter annual that thrives in shady and moist landscape areas. It has teardrop-shaped light green leaves and small, star-like flowers. 

The broadleaf forms mounded patches about 3-7 inches tall that can smother seedlings of desirable plants and turf. 

The best removal methods include pulling, tillage best conducted in the fall, mulching in garden beds, crop rotation in wheat fields, or herbicides containing 2,4-D, dicamba, triclopyr, and mecocrop.

2. Broadleaf Plantain (Plantago major)

• Local Name: Broadleaf plantain
• Family: Plantaginaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Broadleaf Plantain is one of the most common weeds, only second to dandelion in Michigan. The broadleaf weed can adapt to a variety of soils, allowing it to grow in diverse areas, including manicured lawns, roadsides, and disturbed sites. 

You can easily identify it by its smooth, broad to narrow oval leaves that emerge from a rosette attached to a thick taproot and leafless slender spikes with tiny white flowers at the end of the spikes. 

Remove the weeds by pulling or digging, and ensure you remove the taproot. This is easier when the soil is moist, for instance, after irrigation or rain. Mulching and herbicides like glyphosate can also provide effective control against P. major. 

3. Smooth Crabgrass (Digitaria ischaemum)

• Local Name: Smooth Crabgrass or Small Crabgrass
• Family: Poaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual

Smooth Crabgrass is a warm-season grass weed that germinates in spring and grows throughout summer. It thrives in open areas, especially in vegetable gardens, lawns, roadsides, and sidewalks. 

You can differentiate it from other Digitaria species by its smooth leaves and stems with occasional hairs.

Since it’s a ground-hugging grass, it can get difficult to control if allowed to establish. Pull out the small mounds before they develop secondary fibrous roots. You can also consider a crabgrass preventer herbicide application for your lawn in to prevent germination in spring. 

4. Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

• Local Name: Dandelion
• Family: Asteraceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

No lawn or garden is immune to the most common weed in Michigan, the Dandelion. While it has stunning, bright yellow flowers that later become fluffy seed heads, it can easily take over your landscape. 

If left unchecked, the perennial weed can spread many seeds (15,000 per solitary dandelion) over large areas. Additionally, the taproot persists through winter to allow new sproutings in the next spring.

Pull out these weeds by hand or use dandelion removal tools to remove the entire taproot. In gardens, planting early can reduce space and competitiveness. Fall applications of herbicides like 2,4-D, glyphosate, and triclopyr can control larger infestations.

5. White Clover (Trifolium repens)

• Local Name: White Clover
• Family: Fabaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

White clover is a creeping plant native to Europe and Asia that is popularly cultivated as a forage crop. In Michigan, clover is referred to more as a weed and can be found in open woods, dry meadows, pastures, and closer to home, in gardens and lawns with nutrient deficiencies. 

Clover can be easily identified by its trifoliate leaves and white to pink flowers. It is a nitrogen-fixing plant so, you may allow it to grow to benefit your soil and vegetation.

However, if you can’t stand the weed in your landscape, pull them out when young and maintain a healthy lawn that can outcompete the weed.

6. Quackgrass (Elymus repens)

• Local Name: Quackgrass, Quitch Grass, Knot Grass, Wheat Grass, or Couch Grass
• Family: Poaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Quackgrass is an aggressive weed commonly found in gardens, lawns, and crop fields. It is easily distinguished from other grasses by its evergreen, linear, blue-green color and wheat-shaped spikelets.

The highly competitive grass spreads by seeds and rhizomes and can lead to loss of aesthetic appeal in manicured spaces and high yield losses in cropping systems. 

Well-planned and repeated cultivation can help eradicate the grass. Ensure to clean the equipment and dispose of all the rhizome fragments to prevent reinfestation. 

Crop rotation of plants that accrue high biomass or competitive species like Hairy Vetch in crop fields can reduce the grass infestation.

Nicosulfuron in farms and postemergence herbicides like glyphosate are also effective in quackgrass control. 

7. Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense)

• Local Name: Canada Thistle
• Family: Asteraceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Canada Thistle is a perennial spring weed that grows in thick patches about 3-5 feet tall. It produces lance-shaped leaves with spiny margins and fuzzy undersides and pink to white flowers surrounded by flat bracts. 

It spreads aggressively by roots, expanding 6-10 feet wide in a single growing season. Repeat hand-pulling of the rosette leaves to eradicate the plants. For blooming plants, cut the flowers and the seedhead and dispose of them properly. 

Herbicides like glyphosate, dicamba, and 2,4-D applied between the bud and flower stages can control larger and more established infestations.

8. Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule)

• Local Name: Henbit
• Family: Lamiceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 

Henbit is a winter annual that grows about 5 inches tall. In Michigan, it emerges in the late fall and can be easily identified by its green to purple square stems and showy purple to pink flowers.

The Eurasian native is considered among the most troublesome weeds in gardens, lawns, pastures, and in cropping systems like grain and wheat fields. 

Late fall and early spring tillage can control henbit seedlings. Crop rotation and optimal planting of grains can limit the spread. Herbicides recommended for henbit control should be applied in the fall. They include glyphosate and paraquat. 

9. Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare)

• Local Name: Bull Thistle
• Family: Asteraceae
• Annual or Perennial: Biennial

Bull is a biennial broadleaf weed that thrives in various habitats in Michigan, including roadsides, meadows, fields, ditches, riparian areas, and other disturbed sites.

You can identify the weed by its spiny stems and leaves, and pink to purple flowers present on a gumdrop-shaped flower head with numerous surrounding spines.

To prevent the rapid spread of the noxious weed, pull out the small plants and retrieve the taproot. Make sure to wear protective clothing as you handle the weeds. 

For larger infestations, targeted mowing can help reduce seeding and hence control the populations. Alternatively, apply glyphosate or triclopyr to eliminate Bull Thistle. 

Since C. vulgare is a prolific seed producer, eradicating it requires several seasons of consistent management and monitoring, so exercise patience as you tackle the weed.

10. Giant Foxtail (Setaria faberi)

• Local Name: Giant Foxtail or Nodding Foxtail
• Family: Poaceae 
• Annual or Perennial: Annual

Giant Foxtail is a summer annual that emerges in spring and grows to about 3-7 feet tall. It is native to Eastern Asia and was first introduced in New York City and then spread to other states, including Michigan.

This foxtail has 12-inch-long leaves with hairs on the upper surface and folded in a bud. It also has erect, clump-forming stems and cylindrical panicles of green to purple bristles that droop at maturity and resemble a fox’s tail. 

While unassuming at first, this troublesome weed can outcompete other desirable plants and turf in gardens, lawns, and many agronomic cropping systems. 

Cover cropping and crop rotation can reduce the weed density and spread. Apply preemergence and postemergence herbicides such as atrazine, fenoxaprop, and glyphosate, depending on the area of infestation, to control large infestations. 

Sylvia Kiragu

Lead Editor for Insight Weeds.

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The post Most Common Weeds in Michigan, USA, and Their Removal Methods appeared first on InsightWeeds.

These varying conditions encourage the growth of a variety of weeds, including persistent annuals and perennial grasses, that can be found in gardens, lawns, open areas, and disturbed sites. 

This post covers 20 common weeds you’ll come across in Ontario’s subregions, including their scientific names and accompanying pictures to aid in identification. We’ll also explain the best removal methods to ensure they don’t take over your outdoor spaces.

1. Lamb’s Quarter (Chenopodium berlandieri) 

• Local Name: White Goosefoot or Common Lambsquarter
• Family: Amaranthaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual

Lamb’s Quarter is a summer annual that grows up to 1.8 m. It is native to Europe and Asia, but it is widely spread in many parts of Ontario. The summer annual thrives in gardens and near streams and rivers. It is also a common weed in crop lands, including soybeans and sugar beets.

You can remove the weeds through hand weeding, mowing, tillage (dark tillage), or crop rotation, depending on the area of infestation.

2. White Clover (Trifolium repens)

• Local Name: White Clover
• Family: Fabaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

White Clover is a perennial plant that lives about 2-3 years. It is native to Europe and Asia and can be identified by its trifoliate leaves and whitish florets. While it is widely grown as a forage crop in Ontario, it can also become a persistent weed in gardens and lawns. 

Hand weeding is a viable removal option in garden beds where infestations are small. When white clover grows on a lawn, it may require more strategic interventions, like increasing nitrogen fertilization to attain healthy and vigorous grass that can outcompete white clover.

3. Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense)

• Local Name: Creeping Thistle, Cursed Thistle, Field Thistle, or California Thistle
• Family: Asteraceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial

Canada Thistle is a perennial weed that grows up to 1.5 m tall. You can easily identify it by its glossy green leaves with spiny edges, smooth, spineless stem, and small clusters of pink to purple flowers on the ends of the branched stems.

It is one of the most aggressive weeds in Ontario, and its rapid spread can make eradication efforts difficult. Canada thistle invades grasslands, roadsides, crop fields, and lawns. Repeated mowing or cutting them off at ground level before they seed can help limit the spread of the weed. 

4. Large Crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis)

• Local Name: Crabgrass, Hairy Crabgrass, or Crab Finger Grass
• Family: Poaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual

Large Crabgrass is a common weed in Ontario’s lawns and cultivated fields. While it is a late bloomer, it can weaken even the most manicured turf and overtake large areas through its efficient regeneration. It has also been reported to cause significant and cause yield losses in soybean and corn fields.

Grow a vigorous and well-watered lawn to discourage crabgrass growth. You can also pull out the patches of grass to get rid of the entire rhizome system. 

5. Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica)

• Local Name: Japanese Knotweed
• Family: Polygonaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Japanese Knotweed is a perennial weed easily identified by its broad leaves and creamy white flowers. It is mostly found in the southern and central areas of the province along roadsides, in farmlands, and gardens. 

Grazing, mowing, and other natural methods can help eradicate Japanese Knotweed.

6. Creeping Charlie (Glechoma hederacea)

• Local Name: Creeping Charlie
• Family: Lamicaeae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Creeping Charlie is a perennial weed, native to Europe and Asia, but now found throughout Ontario. The weed has dark green leaves with serrated edges and small bluish flowers. Its high seed production and ability to propagate vegetatively make it a persistent weed in many subregions. 

To remove Creeping Charlie, try hand-pulling for small infestations and herbicides like Fiesta for larger areas.

7. Field Bindweed (Convolvulvus arvensis)

• Local Name: Field Bindweed
• Family: Convolvulceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Field Bindweed is an Eurasian native that can be a creeping or climbing plant about 0.5-2 m long. It can be found throughout Ontario but is commonly associated with the southwestern region in open fields, crop farms, and waste areas. 

You can pull out small patches of the weed by hand or apply natural methods like solarization and boiling water.

8. Common Purslane (Portulaca oleracea)

• Local Name: Purslane or Little Hogweed
• Family: Portulacaceae 
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 

Purslane is a common weed noted for its reddish stems, entire leaves, and dense mats. It is a native of Southern Europe and Northern Africa. 

The short succulent is a prolific seed producer and quick-spreading, making it a notorious weed of lawns, vegetable gardens, open fields, and cultivated lands.

Mulching and solarization can effectively kill the purslane and its seeds. 

9. Creeping Speedwell (Veronica filiformis)

• Local Name: Creeping Speedwell or Hairlike Speedwell
• Family: Plantaginaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Creeping Speedwell is a low-growing weed, native to western Asia and eastern Europe. It has rounded or kidney-shaped leaves at the base of the stem and 4-petaled blue flowers. The weed spreads by nodding on the stems and rhizomes, spreading on gardens, lawns, and sidewalk cracks.

Pull out the young plants and ensure to properly dispose of the stem and rhizome fragments to prevent regrowth. Iron-based herbicides can also provide effective control against Creeping Speedwell.

10. Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

• Local Name: Dandelion
• Family: Asteraceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Dandelion is a common weed across Ontario’s cultivated fields, lawns, roadsides, and other disturbed sites. The Eurasian native is easily identified by its deeply toothed leaves and showy, yellow flowers. 

Pull solitary weeds while young and ensure to remove the taproot. Digging tools can provide better results when removing the plants and their roots as they grow in spring. 

11. Canada Fleabane (Erigeron canadensis)

• Local Name: Fleabane or Horseweed 
• Family: Asteraceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual

Canada fleabane is an annual herbaceous plant 1.5 m tall. It has slender, long, and hairy leaves and much-branched, small, white flowers. 

Fleabane is a common weed in Ontario, especially in gardens, pastures, and roadsides. It is a noxious weed in crop fields, causing as high as 90% yield losses in soybean plantations. 

Since it has a taproot, you can remove it by pulling or hoeing. Mowing, tillage, or applying iron-based herbicides in spring or fall can also reduce seed production, dispersion, and growth.

12. Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon)

• Local Name: Bermudagrass
• Family: Poaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Bermudagrass is a warm-season grass about 30 cm tall. This resilient grass can grow in all types of soils and weather conditions, has a deep root system, and also spreads through rhizomes. The grass invades lawns, fields, roadsides, row crop farms, and other disturbed areas, mostly in the warmer southwestern Ontario.

Repeated digging of the grass and pulling out the root fragments is the most common way to remove the grass. Mulching and solarization can also work for flat areas.

13. Shepherd’s Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris)

• Local Name: Shepherd’s Heart, Pick Purse, Poverty Weed, or Beggar’s Tick
• Family: Brassicaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 

Shepherd’s Purse is an annual weed that grows 50-70 cm tall, native to Europe and Asia. You can identify it by its hairy, rounded to oval leaves and small white-petaled flowers. 

In Ontario, it is found in gardens, fields, roadsides, waste areas, and can also be found in winter cereals. 

You can remove the weeds by hand-pulling, hoeing, mulching, or crop rotation to make it difficult for the weeds to establish and spread. 

14. Quackgrass (Elymus repens)

• Local Name: Quitch Grass, Couch Grass, Twitch Grass, or Scutch Grass
• Family: Poaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Quackgrass is a perennial weed (30-120 cm tall) that’s native to Europe and temperate Asia. It has flat, linear leaves about 15-40 cm long and pale-greenish wheat-like spikelets. 

Scutch grass is a problematic weed in lawns, grasslands, and agricultural settings where it not only competes for important resources but also causes poor harvesting when it gets entangled in the crops. 

Whether you want to remove quackgrass from your lawn or crop field, strategies like cultivation, crop competition (planting crops at optimal depth) can prove effective. 

15. Common Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)

• Local Name: Short Ragweed
• Family: Asteraceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 

Common Ragweed is a native of Central and Northern America, including Ontario, particularly in the southern part of the province. The summer annual can grow up to 1.5 m tall. Its leaves have a fernlike appearance and can produce small yellowish brown flowers.

It is a serious weed of riverbanks, grasslands, and agricultural fields, where it causes catastrophic losses by contaminating harvested produce. 

Remove annual ragweed by hand weeding, mechanical cutting, mowing, or planting red clover as a cover crop. Other removal methods include applying essential oils from clove, cinnamon, and red thyme.

16. Broadleaf Plantain (Plantago major)

• Local Name: Plantain, Common Plantain, Dooryard Plantain, or Doorweed
• Family: Plantaginaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Plantain is a broadleaf weed, native to Europe and Asia, but now also commonly found throughout Ontario. As the name implies, it has broad leaves that grow from a basal rosette and produces inconspicuous, small white flowers.

This resilient weed can withstand foot traffic, water-logging, and compaction, hence its prevalence in open fields, pastures, cropping systems, sports fields, lawns, and waste areas.

For smaller areas, remove the young plants before they seed and monitor to ensure there is no regrowth. 

Hand-pulling or placing a 2-4 inch deep organic mulch in ornamental plantings can prevent seedling growth. For larger infestations, apply a herbicide like Fiesta for effective control.

17. Hairy Nightshade (Solanum physalifolium)

• Local Name: Potatoweed or Brown-berried nightshade
• Family: Solanaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 

Hairy nightshade is a South American native annual that can be identified by its almost sticky stems and ovoid to deltoid leaves and small clusters of star-shaped, white-petaled flowers. 

It is a weed of pastures, crop fields, orchards, vineyards, roadsides, and other disturbed sites. Hairy nightshade not only competes for resources but also hosts several pests and diseases, clogs crop field machinery, and can be toxic to humans and livestock. 

Solarization and repeated tillage are effective against the weed, depending on the area and crop affected.

18. Green Foxtail (Setaria viridis)

• Local Name: Millet, Brush Millet, Bottle Brush, or Bottle Grass
• Family: Poaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual

A Eurasian native, Green Foxtail is a tall weed that can reach 1- 2 meters or more. It has long, glabrous leaves and an erect or nodding 20 cm long, compact spike-like panicle. 

The weed is one of the first grasses to emerge in spring, typically after the broadleaf weeds. Green foxtail can be found in gardens, cultivated fields, and roadsides throughout Ontario.

Use a trowel to pull out the weeds from the lawn. Improving turf management through proper irrigation and fertilization can also discourage weed growth. 

19. Mouse Ear Chickweed (Cerastium fontanum)

• Local Name: Mouse Ear or Large Mouse Ear Chickweed
• Family: Caryophyllaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 

Mouse Ear Chickweed is an annual weed that nodes on the stems, forming large and dense low-growing patches. You can identify the weed by its small, oval leaves with entire margins, hairy, reddish-brown stems, and white, deeply notched flowers.

This weed can be located in a range of habitats throughout Ontario, including lawns and cultivated fields.

Pull or dig them out before they flower if spreading in a garden, and ensure to remove all the fragments to avoid resprouting. 

20. Garlic Mustard ( (Alliaria petiolata)

• Local Name: Garlic Mustard
• Family: Brassicaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Biennial

Garlic Mustard is a native of Europe and Asia that was introduced in North America as an edible herb. Today, this tall plant has become one of the top forest invaders in Ontario. 

It has been reported to displace native plants like the Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) and threaten other species like Wood Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum) and White Wood Aster (Eurybia divaricata).

Apart from the forests, Garlic Mustard can also be found along trails and roadsides. 

Pull the weeds by hand for small or isolated infestations and dispose of them properly. Prescribed burning or a Fiesta application on actively growing foliage can control medium to large infestations. 

Sylvia Kiragu

Lead Editor for Insight Weeds.

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The post 20 Common Weeds in Ontario, CA, With Pictures and Scientific Names appeared first on InsightWeeds.

“So, how do I deal with weeds that look like grass?”, you may ask. 

The key to effective control is early identification and targeted treatment to prevent these weeds from taking over your landscape.  

This article will help you achieve all the above by identifying the common weeds that resemble grass and the best control methods to help you keep your flawless lawn.

1. Crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis)

• Local Name: Crabgrass, Hairy crabgrass, and Large crabgrass
• Family: Poaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual

Crabgrass is perhaps the most infamous annual grassy weed due to its rapid growth and spread on lawns. It has coarse, yellowish-green blades with a width of 3-12mm that grows in a clump, sprawling from a central root. 

The blades are wider and lighter than most common lawn grasses, making it easier to identify.

It is native to:

• Europe
• Asia

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Uprooting the weed from the roots using a weeding tool can help control the weed. 
• Chemical control: Apply a pre-emergent herbicide like Quali Prodiamine or post-emergent herbicides like Quinclorac or Tenacity for turf.

2. Quackgrass (Elymus repens)

• Local Name: Common couch and Twitch
• Family: Poaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Quackgrass is a common aggressive perennial weed that can grow over 1m in height. The weed’s wide, flat blades 5-30 cm long can be mistaken for lawn grass. 

Its key distinguishing feature is the long, creeping rhizomes that help the weed spread over 3m long. It generally grows quicker than most turf grasses and is easily identified by its height. 

It is native to:

• Europe
• Temperate Asia

Removal Methods

• Cultural control: Maintain a dense and healthy turf to outcompete quackgrass.
• Mechanical control: Dig out the quackgrass using a shovel or digging fork to remove the entire plant including the root network.
• Chemical control: Apply a selective herbicide like Certainty or non-selective herbicides like glyphosate or Glufosinate ammonium for effective control.

3. Nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus)

• Local Name: Nutsedge andNutgrass
• Family: Cyperaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial

Nutsedge is a perennial grass-like weed considered one of the biggest problems in lawns and gardens. It has tall triangular stems and thin light green or yellow leaf blades that are stiffer and more upright than typical lawn grass. 

The sedge thrives in damp areas and their presence indicates poor drainage. It grows faster than the surrounding grass, often sticking out above the lawn. Since the weed reproduces through seeds and underground tubers, once established, it often requires quick action to eradicate it.

It is native to:

• North America
• South America
• Africa
• Southern Europe

Removal Methods

• Cultural control: Improve drainage, increase shade, or expose the tubers to sunlight.
• Mechanical control: Hand pulling or digging up the plants using a shovel or garden trowel (up to 18 inches down) can provide effective control for small patches.
• Chemical control: Apply selective herbicides containing imazapic, bentazon, or halosulfuron. You can also consider repeated applications of glyphosate on actively growing young plants for faster eradication.

4. Goosegrass (Eleusine indica)

• Local Name: Silver crabgrass, Wire grass, and Indian goosegrass
• Family: Poaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 

Goosegrass is a summer annual weed that can grow between 50-70 cm tall. The weed resembles crabgrass but has a silvery-white center at the base and tends to form flatter, more compact clumps. 

It has a more upright growth habit and spreads rapidly on thin turfs or in compacted soils mostly located in full sunlight. It is one of the most common weeds in agricultural and landscaping environments.

It is native to

• Europe
• Asia

Removal Methods

• Cultural Methods: Fertilizing and mowing the turfgrass at the recommended height helps prevent goosegrass infestations. Releasing soil compassion through aeration and traffic management can help improve turfgrass competition against goosegrass.
• Mechanical control: Hand-pulling or digging using a tool like a trowel or shovel can be effective for young plants. 
• Chemical control: Apply pre-emergent herbicides with active ingredients such as prodiamine, dithiopyr, oxadiazon, and pendimethalin. Post-emergence herbicides recommended for goosegrass include mesotrione, fenoxaprop-p-ethyl, topramezone, or a 2,4-D ester + MCPP + Dicamba + carfentrazone combination.

5. Foxtail (Setaria pumila)

• Local Name: Pigeon grass, Yellow bristle-grass, and Cattail grass
• Family: Poaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual

Annual foxtail is an upright annual weed that can grow up to 2m tall. It has flat, bluish-green leaves about 15-30 cm long, similar to many grass blades. The stems are mostly hairless green or a purplish hue. It is also easily identified by its yellow seed heads with bristle-like hairs. 

It is a common and aggressive weed on lawns, agricultural lands, areas near rivers, fencelines, pastures, and roadsides.

It is native to:

• Europe
• Asia

Removal Methods

• Cultural control: Maintain a healthy turfgrass through proper irrigation and fertilization. 
• Mechanical control: Pulling or digging with a hand-held tool can provide effective control for small infestations.
• Chemical control: Apply pre-emergent herbicides with active ingredients such as dithiopyr, prodiamine, or pendimethalin. For existing infestations, consider herbicides containing quinclorac, fenoxaprop-p-ethyl, or topramezone. 

Sylvia Kiragu

Lead Editor for Insight Weeds.

insightweeds.com/

The post Common Weeds That Look Like Grass appeared first on InsightWeeds.

Its humid continental climate and fertile soils similarly encourage the growth of numerous weeds found along lawns, roadsides, meadows, orchards, and other disturbed sites. 

This article covers the most common weeds, their characteristics, and the best eradication methods.

1. Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)

• Local Name: Garlic mustard
• Family: Brassicaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Biennial 

Garlic mustard is a herbaceous biennial plant that can grow up to 1m tall. It is easily identified by its ovate to heart-shaped leaves that have a characteristic garlic smell when crushed and racemes of cross-shaped white flowers.

It is a highly invasive weed commonly found in damp hedgerows, woods and trail edges, backyards, and along roadsides in many areas across Massachusetts.

It is native to:

• Europe
• Western and Central Asia 

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: For small infestations, cutting the flowering stalks before they bloom and pulling the plants by their roots will help eradicate the weeds.
• Chemical control: Apply herbicides containing glyphosate, triclopyr, or 2,4-D in the rosette stage, early blooming stage, or before the seed pod formation. 

2. White Clover (Trifolium repens)

• Local Name: White clover, White trefoil, Dutch clover, and Honeysuckle clover
• Family: Fabaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

White clover is a perennial mat-forming plant about 10-15 cm tall but can spread up to 30 cm across the ground. The herbaceous perennial has trifoliate green leaves with a red or purplish hue and globular white flowers. 

While it’s highly edible and a valuable forage for livestock, it can easily outcompete other desirable vegetation on lawns, landscapes, orchards, and nursery fields.

It is native to:

• Europe 
• Asia
• Africa

Removal Methods

• Cultural control: Grow turfgrasses that are well adapted to the area, improve turf density, and adequately water and fertilize your lawn or landscape.
• Chemical control: Applications of herbicides containing dicamba, quinclorac, and fluroxypyr in the fall can provide effective control against white clover. 

3. Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

• Local Name: Common dandelion
• Family: Asteraceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Dandelion is one of the most common broadleaf weeds in Massachusetts. It grows 5-50 cm tall and can be identified by its long green stems, bright yellow flowers, and puffball seed heads. 

It spreads by seeds and root segments and develops a deep taproot that makes it hard to eradicate upon establishment. Common dandelion is a weed of every habitat including fertile lawns, cultivated fields, roadsides, golf courses, and rocky hillsides. 

It is native to:

• Europe
• Asia

Removal Methods

• Cultural control: Maintaining a dense and healthy lawn can help minimize dandelion occurrence. Coarse bark and wood sawdust mulch can also be used to control the weed.
• Mechanical control: Hand pulling, digging, and flaming are effective for eradicating small infestations. We recently wrote about effective tools for dandelion removal.
• Chemical control: Applying herbicides containing glyphosate (Roundup), dicamba, 2,4-D Ester, triclopyr, and MCPA in spring or fall will effectively eradicate dandelions. 

4. Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum)

• Local Name: Giant hogweed
• Family: Apiaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Biennial or perennial

Giant hogweed is a biennial or perennial herb 2-4.5 m tall. It has hollow stems 5-10 cm, large compound leaves 120 cm wide, and large umbrella-like flower heads about 75 cm in diameter.

The plant reproduces through seeds and spreading roots. It is a notable weed of Granville and other areas in Massachusetts. 

It is also known to cause skin reactions when the sap comes into contact with skin and sunlight. Common symptoms include liquid-filled blisters, severe rashes, and sensitivity to sunlight.

It is native to:

• Caucasus mountain region
• Asia

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Hand digging before the weed flowers can help eradicate the weed. Ensure that you remove the entire root system to prevent regrowth.
• Chemical control: Spot spray a herbicide containing glyphosate on each plant in spring as the flowering stalk elongates for effective control. 

5. Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)

• Local Name: Common mugwort, Wild chrysanthemum
• Family: Asteraceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Mugwort is a perennial herb that grows 60-140 cm tall. It has erect purplish stems that become woody later in the season. The leaves are alternate, dark green, about 2-5 cm long, lobed with sharp points, smooth on the upper surface, but contain white to gray hairs on the underside.

It mainly reproduces by rhizomes, making it a persistent and invasive weed. Mugwort is a common weed of roadsides, waste areas, old fields, and forest edges in locations such as Sudbury, Natick, Gill, and Allston.

It is native to:

• Europe
• Asia
• Africa

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Persistent hand pulling when the plants are young can eradicate the weed over time.
• Cultural control: Maintaining a dense and healthy lawn will discourage growth. Laying a thick layer of mulch or landscape fabric in the garden will also help prevent mugwort growth.
• Chemical control: Apply selective herbicides like clopyralid and triclopyr on lawns and turfgrasses or non-selective herbicides containing glyphosate on other landscapes.

6. Common Purslane (Portulaca oleracea)

• Local Name: Common purslane, Purslane
• Family: Portulacaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual

Known as one of the most common broadleaf weeds, purslane grows up to 50 cm in height. The plant has thick, fleshy reddish stems that are mostly prostate, alternate or opposite leaves located at stem joints and ends, and yellow flowers. 

It can be found on lawns, cultivated areas, waste areas, and barren driveways. Common purslane was first identified in the United States in Massachusetts.

Due to its high seed production, it can form dense mats over a short period of time, smothering native vegetation.  

It is native to:

• North Africa
• Middle East
• India

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Hand pulling or hoeing when the plants are young can help reduce the weed infestation. Ensure that you remove the root parts and clear the fallen seeds to prevent regrowth.
• Cultural control: Lay organic, rock, or plastic mulch to smother the seedlings and prevent further growth and spread.
• Chemical control: Apply pre-emergent herbicides like dithiopyr, benefin + oryzalin, or benefin + trifluralin at seedling emergence. Post-emergent herbicides like dicamba, glyphosate, and 2,4-D, and can be used in turfgrasses and landscapes.

7. Crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis)

• Local Name: Crabgrass, Large crabgrass, and Hairy crabgrass
• Family: Poaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual

Crabgrass is a summer annual grass that grows 60-90 cm tall. It has flat spreading purplish culms with pale and hairy bluish-green leaves. 

Due to its rapid growth and high persistence to a variety of dry weather and high temperatures, it is one of the most troublesome weeds in Massachusetts.

It is commonly found in lawns, gardens, golf courses, athletic fields, and waste areas across Massachusetts.

It is native to:

• Europe
• Asia

Removal Methods

• Cultural control: Maintaining a healthy turfgrass through proper mowing, irrigation, and fertilization can help discourage crabgrass growth.
• Chemical control: Apply pre-emergent herbicides including benefin, pendimethalin, and trifluralin in late April or early May before or the time it’s in full bloom. Repeated applications of post-emergent herbicides like quinclorac, mesotrione, and dithiopyr when the crabgrass is in the 2-5 leaf stage can provide effective control.

8. Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea)

• Local Name: Creeping charlie, Gill-over-the-ground, and Robin-runaway
• Family: Lamiaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial

Ground Ivy is a low-growing herb that grows 30-50 cm tall. It has creeping and prostate stems that are square in shape. The leaves are opposite, kidney-shaped, with round-toothed margins. Flowers are located on axillary clusters and are 2-lipped, funnel-shaped, and bluish-purple in colour.

Creeping charlie is common in lawns, thickets, floodplains, and disturbed sites. Due to its rapid growth, and long life cycle, it is considered a troublesome weed in many areas in Massachusetts.

It is native to:

• Europe
• Asia

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Hand pulling is effective for small infestations. Replace the gaps with the desired turf to discourage Ground ivy growth. 
• Chemical control: Apply herbicides containing triclopyr, dicamba, 2,4-D, and MCPP in early fall for large infestations.

9. Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica)

• Local Name: Reynoutria fleece flower, Sally rhubarb, German sausage, Pea-shooter plant, Japanese bamboo, Japanese fleece flower, and fleece flower
• Family: Polygonaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Japanese knotweed is a perennial herb 3m in height. It can be identified by its hollow light green stems with red flecks, broadly ovate leaves, and small white-greenish flowers located in long panicles. 

While the plant is erect, its rhizomes can extend up to 60 meters, forming new plants that create a dense canopy in summer. It is considered a noxious and invasive weed in Massachusetts and is prohibited for sale.

It is native to: 

• Japan
• China
• Taiwan 
• Korean Peninsula

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Hand-pulling is effective for eradicating young plants.
• Chemical control: Applications of herbicides containing 2,4-D amine, glyphosate, triclopyr, and imazapyr can provide better control in larger areas.

10. Blue Violet

• Local Name: Common blue violet, Meadow violet, and Hooded blue violet
• Family: Violaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Blue violet is a perennial plant that can grow up to 50 cm tall. It has a short stem, hairy or smooth, that arises from a rosette of heart-shaped leaves about 10 cm long. The 5-petaled flowers are blue or purple with white hues.

The rapidly growing plant is a common weed of lawns, roadsides, meadows, streambeds, and open woodlands. 

It is native to:

• Eastern and Central America 

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Hand-pulling the plants from the roots is an effective option for small infestations.
• Cultural control: Maintaining a healthy lawn through proper fertilization and mowing will discourage growth.
• Chemical control: Apply herbicides containing triclopyr and 2,4-D for effective control. 

11. Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana)

• Local Name: Common pokeweed, Inkberry, Pokeberry, Poke, and Pigeonberry
• Family: Phytolaccaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Pokeweed is a perennial herb that grows up to 3m tall. It can be identified by its upright, thick reddish stems, broadly ovate leaves, and dark purple to black berries. 

Common pokeweed is a weed of ornamental landscapes, orchards, vineyards, parks, forest edges, and disturbed areas. 

It is native to:

• The North, central, west, and southern United States

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Hand pulling is a feasible option for removing small plants. For more established plants with an extensive root system, digging and tillage can provide better ]control.
• Chemical control: Select a herbicide containing dicamba, 2,4-D, or glyphosate depending on the area and size of the weed.

12. Hair Fescue (Festuca filiformis)

• Local Name: Fine-leaved sheep fescue and slender fescue
• Family: Poaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Hair fescue is a clump-forming turf grass that grows 20-60 cm tall. The grass has distinct slender and wiry culms with flowers attached to the branches. The leaf blades are narrow, about 0.2-0.6 mm wide.

The grass is valued for its fine texture and ability to thrive in low-maintenance landscapes. In some cases, it can behave as an invasive weed, outcompeting desired vegetation in gardens, meadows, woodland, and other natural habitats. 

It is native to: 

• Europe

Removal Methods

• Chemical control: Herbicides containing pronamide, foramsulfuron, flazasufluron, and glyphosate are effective in controlling hair fescue.

Sylvia Kiragu

Lead Editor for Insight Weeds.

insightweeds.com/

The post 12 Most Common Weeds in Massachusetts appeared first on InsightWeeds.

As such, common weeds are easy to spot on roadsides, in gardens, and in crop fields. 

Correctly identifying the weeds is the first best step to finding the right solutions for eradication. 

Here is a list of 10 common weeds in North Carolina.

1. Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

• Local Name: Common dandelion, Lion’s tooth
• Family: Asteraceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Dandelion is a perennial broadleaf weed that can grow up to 30 cm tall. Often considered a wildflower, dandelion produces green leaves about 1-7 cm wide and 5-30 cm long. 

The leaves are oval to oblong and deeply lobed with serrated margins. The bright green leaves grow in a rosette pattern with few simple hairs. 

The weed produces bright yellow flower heads that grow on long hollow stems about 7- 30 cm tall. The blossoms mature into white spherical puffballs of parachute-like seeds. 

It is native to:

• Europe
• Asia

Removal Methods

• Pulling: Hand pulling is a viable option for smaller plants without a deeper root system. You can also use special dandelion removal tools to dig out the weeds.
• Cultural Control: Regular lawn maintenance, including mowing, watering, and fertilization, can help prevent growth.
• Herbicides: Apply a selective broadleaf herbicide formulation with Dicamba or Trimec to the weeds.

2. Crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis)

• Local Name: Hairy crabgrass, Crop grass, Hairy Finger grass
• Family: Poaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 

Crabgrass is an annual weed with smooth, dark green leaves about 1 cm wide and 5-15 cm long. 

The flat leaves are slightly curly along the margins with a hairy underside.  The grass produces numerous stems at the base that sprawl close to the ground, forming dense colonies.

It grows faster than most grasses, making it a stubborn weed in many of North Carolina’s lawns, gardens, and agricultural farms.

It is native to:

• Europe
• Asia
• North Africa

Removal Methods

• Cultural Control: Keeping up with lawn maintenance like watering and fertilization helps the turfgrass outcompete the grass.
• Mulching: To prevent weed growth, cover the turfgrass with a thick layer of mulch, such as hay, bark, or straw. 
• Herbicides: Apply a preemergent herbicide with active ingredients like dithiopyr, oryzalin, or prodiamine in early spring to prevent germination or a post-emergent herbicide with quinclorac for effective eradication.  

You can also use crabgrass removal tools to remove it manually.

3. Broadleaf Plantain (Plantago major)

• Local Name: Cart Track plant, Cuckoo’s bread, Doorweed, Dooryard plantain
• Family: Plantaginaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial

Broadleaf plantain or cart track plant is a perennial herbaceous plant that can grow up to 15 – 45 cm tall. It produces green leaves about 7-15 cm wide and 15 cm long.

The lanceolate paralleled-veined leaves form a rosette at the base, with stems growing from the middle to a height of about 25 cm. 

The weed produces cylindrical clusters of green and white flowerheads with spikes about 2.5 cm wide. 

It is native to:

• Europe
• Central Asia

Removal Methods

• Natural Methods: For effective control spray hot water on the weeds (2-3 repeat sprays are recommended).
• Mechanical Control: Use a long-handled tool to dig out the weeds.
• Herbicides: Apply a postemergence herbicide like glyphosate on actively growing foliage.

4. Purple Deadnettle (Lamium purpureum)

• Local Name: Dead nettle, Purple archangel, Red Deadnettle
• Family: Lamiaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual

Purple deadnettle is a short winter annual herbaceous plant that grows about 5-20 cm tall. It produces purple-green leaves about 2-7 cm long. 

The heart-shaped leaves form dense clusters near the top of the stems. They have wavy to serrated margins with fine hairs.

Purple deadnettle produces purplish flowers with a distinct top hood petal and two lower lip petals. 

It is native to:

• Europe
• Asia

Removal Methods

• Mechanical Control: Since it has shallow roots, hand pulling, tillage, and mowing can help eliminate the weed.
• Herbicides: Apply a post-emergent herbicide like Dicamba, MCPA, 2,4-D, and Triclopyr.

5. Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea)

• Local Name: Alehoffs, Cat’s foot, Field balm, Hay’s Maid, Creeping charlie
• Family: Lamiaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial

Ground ivy (hay’s maid or creeping charlie) is a perennial creeper that grows up to 30 cm tall. It branches out frequently, forming a mat of stems and leaves on the ground.

It produces green leaves about 2-3 cm wide and 3-6 cm long. The kidney-shaped leaves are alternately arranged with scalloped edges. 

The weed produces showy and fragrant tubular blue-purplish flowers about 2.5 cm wide. 

It is native to:

• Europe
• Asia

Removal Methods

• Pulling: Hand pulling when the ground is wet can help remove small patches.
• Herbicides: Alternate herbicide applications of products with triclopyr or 2,4-D will help eradicate the weed. 

6. Spurge (Euphorbia esula)

• Local Name: Green spurge, Leafy spurge
• Family: Euphorbiaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial

Spurge is a low-growing perennial that can grow up to 30-70 cm tall. It produces pale green leaves about 2.5 cm wide and 15 cm long. 

The upper leaves form a dense cluster, while the lower leaves are alternately arranged across the stem with a slightly wavy margin. The weed produces small cup-like yellow flowers with a diameter of 2 cm. 

It is native to:

• Central and Southern Europe
• Asia

Removal Methods

• Mulching: To prevent the grass from growing, cover it with at least 2 inches of organic mulch, such as bark, compost, or straw.
• Herbicides: Chemical herbicides provide the best leafy spurge control. Apply an herbicide product containing dicamba, glyphosate, 2,4-D, picloram, imazapyr, or amitrole. 

7. Wild Violet (Viola sororia)

• Local Name: Hooded violet, Meadow violet, Purple violet
• Family: Violaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Wild violet (hooded violet, meadow violet, or purple violet) is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant that grows 12-17 tall. The low-grounding weed produces green to dark green leaves about 1-5 cm wide and 2-7 cm long.

The leaves are heart-shaped, with a smooth or slightly wavy margin, and hairless on the upper or lower surface.

Wild violet has showy blue, white, or purple flowers about 2-5 cm in diameter.

It is native to:

• United States
• Canada

Removal Methods

• Lawn Maintenance: Mow high, fertilize, and overseed the grass to outcompete the wild violet.
• Herbicides: Apply a selective post-emergent herbicide containing triclopyr or 2,4-D.

8. Yellow Nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus)

• Local Name: Chufa flatsedge, Chufa sedge, Earth almond, Tiger nut, 
• Family: Cyperaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial

Yellow nutsedge is a perennial sedge that grows up to 90 cm tall. Its leaves are yellow to green and grass-like, about 1 cm wide and 30 cm long.  

The smooth leaves emerge from the base of the plant and have a prominent midrib with a tapering point. 

Yellow nutsedge produces yellow-brown flowerheads at the tips of the stems, 2-7 cm wide.

It is native to:

• Southern Europe
• Africa
• Asia

Removal Methods

• Pulling: Hand pulling is adequate for small infestations. Ensure that you pull and remove the plant remnants to prevent regermination.
• Cultural Control: Maintaining a healthy lawn through regular fertilizing and mowing can limit yellow nutsedge growth.
• Mulching: To prevent weed growth, cover the grass with a thick layer of mulch, such as bark or straw.
• Herbicides: Apply a herbicide with active ingredients like mesotrione, imazosulfuron, and sulfentrazone to the foliage of the yellow nutsedge.

9. Spiny Sowthistle (Sonchus asper)

• Local Name: Common sowthistle, Hare’s thistle, Milky tassel
• Family: Asteraceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 

Spiny sowthistle is an annual herb that can grow 90-150 cm tall. It produces bluish-green leaves that are about 8 cm wide and 25 cm long. 

The shiny leaves are alternately arranged and lanceolate, with prickly margins on the top surface and undersides.

The weed produces yellow flowerheads about 2 cm wide consisting of numerous yellow ray florets.

It is native to:

• Africa
• Asia
• Europe

Removal Methods

• Pulling: Hand pulling is effective for removing young plants.
• Mechanical: Regular mowing, tillage, and cutting shoots before seeding can help control spiny sowthistle.
• Herbicides: Use chemical herbicides with active ingredients like glyphosate, dicamba, and picloram.

10. Bermuda Grass (Cynodon dactylon)

• Local Name: Bermudagrass, Hybrid bermudagrass
• Family: Poaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Bermuda grass is a medium-to-fine-textured perennial grass. Its alternately arranged flat and pointed leaves roll in a bud on flat stems. 

The stems can grow to a height of 10-15 cm and have a hairy-like appearance.

The fast-growing grass spreads by stolons and rhizomes, forming large dense mats in unwanted areas. 

It is native to:

• Africa

Removal Methods

• Mulching: Placing a black polythene bag over the grass blocks the sunlight, stopping grass growth.
• Herbicides: Apply a post-emergent herbicide containing triclopyr, atrazine, fluazifop, and sethoxydim.

Sylvia Kiragu

Lead Editor for Insight Weeds.

insightweeds.com/

The post List of 10 Most Common Weeds in North Carolina appeared first on InsightWeeds.

Such weeds can complete seed production immediately after flowering. As a result, they can destroy good crops like sugar beets, soybeans, and other vegetables.

Properly managing fast-growing weeds is important to prevent them from spreading and competing with desired plants. 

But what are the examples of fastest-growing weeds, and how can you remove them?

1. Bindweed

Bindweed is a genus of over 200 species of flowering plants identified by their thin thread-like vines. It is native to Europe but is now naturalized worldwide.

The perennial weed spreads from an extensive rootstock and seed. It can be noxious to other plants because the vines wrap themselves tightly to plants. However, the plant reproduces from roots, rhizomes, and stem fragments.

Bindweed can grow fast because the seeds can lie dormant in the soil for many years. Therefore, the best way of removing it is through repeated applications of a pre-emergent herbicide or hoeing.

2. Crabgrass

Crabgrass is an invasive warm-season grass that reproduces by seeds. It also has a prolific branching habit, with a single plant producing hundreds of tillers and seeds.

Crabgrass is an annual weed found in almost every landscape or turf. It is native to Europe or Eurasia and is distributed worldwide.

Crabgrass can be annoying because it thrives well in lawns. You can identify it by its coarse-textured, yellowish-green colour.

You can eliminate crabgrass by applying a granular, selective, pre-emergent herbicide. Alternatively, prune or pull the plant whenever it appears using specialized tools.

3. Dandelion

The Dandelion is one of the worst invasive weeds. The perennial plant is native to Eurasia but widespread throughout North America.

You can identify the weed by its deeply lobed leaves and composite flower heads with bright yellow flowers. Dandelions grow fast because one plant can produce up to 15,000 seeds.

Once dandelions invade your garden or lawn, kill them by digging the weeds by the roots because of their taproot system. Alternatively, you can spray them with a herbicide.

However, if you’ve only spotted a few, simply remove them using dandelion removal tools.

4. Chickweed

Chickweed is a cold-season annual plant recognisable by the line of hairs down its stem. The plant is native to Europe and naturalized worldwide.

Chickweed is one of the weeds that grow tall. The weed can grow up to 18 inches. However, its stem usually sprawls across the ground.

Chickweed thrives in cool, moist, and shaded areas. You will often find it in cultivated fields, pastures, gardens, shady lawns, roadsides, and plantation crops.

You can manage chickweed by hand-pulling or hoeing the plant before it sets seed. Mulching can also prevent its seeds from germinating.

5. Clover

Clover is a genus of over 200 plants native to Europe. The perennial weed has rhizomatous stems that grow up to 30 cm long and have a three-leaf structure.

Clover grows easily in moist fields. Since it is a plant in the legume family, clover naturally fixes nitrogen in the soil. That gives it the property of growing faster in the right conditions.

You can get rid of clover by treating it with a herbicide. Alternatively, consider hand-pulling, hoeing, or mulching to prevent seed germination.

6. Creeping Charlie

Creeping Charlie is an aromatic, perennial, evergreen weed of the mint family native to Europe. It is also among the worst weeds in the world because it spreads by seeds that can disperse to many areas.

Creeping Charlie gets its name because it has creeping stems or stolons. The plant grows well in moist, shady spots, including under shrubs and trees.

The best way of controlling Creeping Charlie is by mowing the affected area regularly at a height of about three inches. 

Fertilising, overseeding in the fall, and watering the lawn well are other methods of eliminating the plant.

7. Fat hen

Fat hen is among the annoying weeds that grow fast from seeds. The annual plant, native to Europe, grows between 0.2 and 2 metres tall and has matt green, diamond-shaped leaves and white flowers.

Fat hen grows quickly around the open ground, competing with other weeds and plants for nutrients. Also, the weed can out-compete re-seeded areas of grass.

Tackle Fat hen early or immediately once you notice it growing in your garden or lawn. However, other techniques you can use include hoeing to remove young seedlings and pulling by hand before it sets seed.

8. Ground Ivy

Ground Ivy is a perennial scrambling herbaceous plant native to Eurasia. It is also a low-growing, creeping weed that spreads by seed and stolons that root at the nodes.

You can identify Ground Ivy with its opposite, heart-shaped, scalloped leaves and square stems. It mostly grows in moist areas like floodplains, low woods, and disturbed sites.

Ground Ivy is a vigorous grower that spreads across the ground, forming dense patches that push out native plants. Therefore, the best removal methods include herbicide application, hand-pulling, or raking.

9. Henbit

Henbit is an annual or biennial weed native to Europe and Asia and is a member of the mint family. The plant commonly grows in waste areas, landscapes, and no-till fields.

You can identify Henbit by its greenish to purplish, tender stems. Although its stems grow upright, they can also root at the lower nodes.

Henbit has a shallow taproot that becomes branched. Because of the taproot system, removal methods include hand-pulling or hoeing the plant to remove all root fragments. 

Also, a pre-emergent herbicide applied in the fall can prevent henbit from germinating.

10. Japanese knotweed

Japanese knotweed is one of the many invasive garden weeds. It is a herbaceous perennial plant native to Japan, North China, Taiwan, and Korea.

Japanese knotweed can grow up to ten feet tall. It has hollow, bamboo-like stems with purple speckles, and its leaves are large, heart-shaped, and pointed at the tip.

Japanese knotweed can grow up to ten centimetres a day during the summer and overwhelm other plants. 

Therefore, remove it by digging up the entire plant and its extensive root system or applying a selective herbicide to kill it.

There are several other organic ways of removing Japanese Knotweed.

11. Johnson grass

Johnson grass is an annoying perennial grass weed. It is native to the Mediterranean region of Europe and Africa.

Johnson grass grows to a height of eight feet. It has wide leaves with thickened whitish midribs.

The weed mainly grows in fertile soils. It is invasive and can reduce corn, grain, soybean, cotton, and leguminous forage yields.

You can control Johnson grass by digging up its roots. Alternatively, use a glyphosate-based herbicide to prevent the plant from germinating.

12. Kudzu

Kudzu is a semi-woody, trailing or climbing perennial vine. It is one of the worst and fastest-growing invasive vine weeds native to Asia.

Kudzu has large, trifoliate leaves, each with three leaflets. The weed can grow up to 0.3 meters per day in early summer and up to 18 meters during the growing season.

Also, Kudzu can grow in nearly any type of soil. Therefore, the best removal methods include chemical control, where you repeatedly apply a herbicide. Hoeing can also help remove the entire root system.

 13. Morning glory

Morning glory is a fast-growing flowering vine native to Mexico, Central America, and South America. It thrives well in warm, sunny spots.

Morning glory produces large, heart-shaped leaves and trumpet-shaped flowers in various colours, including blue, red, purple, or pink.

Because of its fast-growing properties, Morning glory requires a combination of physical and chemical management to eliminate it. 

In other words, use a hoe to remove its roots or pull the weed by hand. Alternatively, apply a pre-emergent herbicide to kill the plant.

14. Nutsedge

Nutsedge is a perennial weed native to many parts of the world. It grows actively during the frost-free season with stiffer and thicker leaves.

The plant also has a triangular stem in cross-section. During its growth cycle, Nutsedge reproduces by seed and underground tubers. These can remain dormant in the ground for several years.

Thus, chemical application is the best way of removing Nutsedge. Alternatively, you can dig out the plant to remove all its root fragments. 

Reducing soil moisture and fertility can also help reduce the weed populations in your garden.

15. Oxalis

Oxalis is a cool-season perennial weed native to North America but naturalized in the central United States, Europe, Africa, Asia, Japan, and New Zealand. 

It is an erect and readily branching weed that often forms dense mats from rhizomes.

Oxalis has leaves divided into three to ten leaflets. All the leaflets arise from a single point on the plant. It also has solitary flowers with five petals.

Oxalis forms adventitious roots when growing. Therefore, you can get rid of the weed by hand-pulling or hoeing. 

But to prevent its seeds from spreading, remove the plant while young and developing before the flowers and seed capsules form.

16. Pigweed

Pigweed is also known as amaranth. It is an edible weed in most parts of the world, especially in Africa. However, the plant is native to North and South America.

Pigweed is a summer annual weed that also acts as a perennial weed. It has oval to diamond-shaped leaves, which alternate on the stem. The plant also produces green, red, or purple flower clusters.

Pigweed is easy to hand pull. You can also use a hoe to remove the weeds from your garden. But as one of the annual weeds, a pre-emergent herbicide will kill it and prevent its future regrowth.

17. Poison ivy

Poison ivy is a woody perennial plant native to North America. It usually grows as a low, spreading shrub with fine stems. In other cases, it grows as an upright, three-foot-tall shrub or a woody vine.

Poison ivy has compound leaves with three glossy and smooth-edged leaflets. The plant also produces small, greenish-white flowers in the spring and white berries in the fall.

You can remove Poison ivy from your garden through hoeing to remove the entire root system. However, the permanent method involves the application of a herbicide.

18. Purslane

Purslane is a summer annual broadleaf weed native to North Africa, the Middle East, and India. It grows rapidly in spring and summer and is an important agricultural weed in some parts of the world.

Purslane has succulent leaves and stems. However, its stems are smooth and reddish and originate from a single taproot.

Although Purslane is an edible plant, it is a weed in many areas. And since it has a taproot system, you can remove it through hand pulling or hoeing.

19. Ragweed

Ragweed is an annual and sometimes perennial weed native to the tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas. It usually grows a few centimetres tall but can exceed four metres.  

Ragweed has erect, decumbent, or prostrate stems that grow from rhizomes. It has alternately arranged leaves and leaf blades that come in various shapes.

Weed and feed fertilisers are best to control Ragweed in established and actively growing lawns. However, proper management requires the removal of Ragweed before the plant reaches its seed-producing stages.

20. Thistle

Thistle is a name given to a group of plants in the Asteraceae family. These plants are characterised by leaves with sharp prickles on the margins.

Thistles can be annual or perennial plants. These weeds are native to North America, Europe, and Asia.

Thistles grow to a few centimetres tall or exceed five feet tall with dark to light purple flower heads. You can remove them using a stand-up weeding tool to uproot the individual plants.

Have your say?

What challenges have you faced with invasive garden weeds?

Carla Etheridge

Carla is a student pursuing a B.S in Agricultural Systems Technology. With a passion for landscaping for over 4 years, Carla loves plants. She has previously contributed to several other sites in the space before joining InsightWeeds.

The post 20 fastest-growing weeds and their removal methods appeared first on InsightWeeds.

Below, we have compiled a detailed New England weeds identification guide. It covers some of the most common types of weeds found in the area, how to identify them, and how to eradicate them.

The most common weeds you can find in the New England area include:

1. Poison Ivy

Poison ivy is a weed plant that is part of the Sumac family. It is a common weed that is native to the New England region. It grows in several habitats – gardens, landscapes, lawns, roadsides, river banks, and woodland edges, among others – that have partial shade to full sun.

Furthermore, the plant is highly adaptive and can grow in various soil conditions, from moist to dry and impoverished soils.

Poison ivy weed is easily identified by its leaves; it has three leaflets, with the middle being more prominent than the other two.

When the plant matures, the leaves are dull to glossy green, turning reddish-green in spring and bright orange, red, or yellow in fall.

Another distinctive feature of poison ivy is the small, yellow-green flowers that sprout in spring. On top of that, the plant produces green berries, which turn light grey or whitish when they ripen.

When it comes to eradicating poison ivy, there are three techniques you can use, the first one being pulling the plant manually.

Secondly, homemade weed killers such as vinegar mixed with a dish soap solution can be effective.

Lastly, you can use chemical herbicides such as glyphosate, which can penetrate the entire plant to the root, killing it altogether.

2. Oxalis

Oxalis or yellow woodsorrel is a perennial weed common in New England, especially in Maine, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Islands, and others.

It usually grows in gardens, waste areas, fields, landscape areas, and even lawns.

Oxalis is an upright-growing weed plant with slightly hairy stems. The stems have an alternate leaf arrangement, with smooth-edged, compound leaves that are green in colour.

The plant also produces five-petalled flowers, which can sprout in clusters. Oxalis is also known for its okra-shaped fruits, which split open when ripe.

You can control oxalis weed by pulling the plant if the invasion is widespread. You should, however, ensure that it does not produce fruit, as scattered seeds will germinate into new plants, worsening the infestation.

Another effective way of controlling oxalis is through chemical herbicides. Glyphosate herbicides such as Roundup are especially effective at killing the plant.

However, when the weed grows on lawns, you should use selective pre- and post-emergent chemical weed killers.

3. Dandelion

Dandelion is a perennial herbaceous plant that is native to the Europe region but very common in North America, especially the New England area.

Some people consider them beneficial due to their attractive flowers that improve curb appeal while promoting pollination.

However, the plant develops a deep taproot system, which makes it extremely hard to eradicate once it establishes itself.

You can identify the dandelion weed plant by its low-growing trait, with rosette leaves that grow directly from the base of the plant. It also has conspicuous yellow flowers, which grow on hollow stalks.

These flowers mature into seed heads with a fuzzy structure that holds the seeds, thus allowing them to be quickly scattered by the wind.

You can get rid of dandelions through a selection of techniques. The first one is pulling the weeds from the soil.

However, it would help if you only did this when the ground is wet to ensure you pull out the entire root system. Secondly, you can use natural weed killers such as vinegar or dish soap.

Chemical herbicides, however, are the most effective when it comes to killing dandelions.

You should target the weed plant when it is young before the seed heads develop and the plant starts scattering seeds.

It would be best to use a selective broadleaf herbicide, especially when dandelions grow on lawns.

4. Crabgrass

Crabgrass is one of the most common lawn weeds in New England. It is native to Eurasia but has spread worldwide, including in North America.

The grass reproduces through seeds and tillering, with a single plant producing up to 150,000 seeds and 700 tillers. It is thus a very aggressive weed, which can be a nuisance to eradicate.

Crabgrass is a very distinctive weed, especially when growing on lawns. It is a fast-growing grassy weed that has coarse, yellowish-green leaves.

The leaves are large and grow from the stems before branching outwards. As the plant matures, the stems fall, creating a star-like pattern from the middle.

You can get rid of crabgrass by pulling it from the soil. You can do this using your hands, but it is advisable to use a digging tool to ensure you extract the entire plant.

Another way of controlling crabgrass is to keep your lawn healthy, thus preventing weeds from growing.

Lastly, you can use special chemical herbicides such as Tenacity for Turf to eradicate the weed.

5. Common ragweed

Common ragweed (short ragweed) is an annual weed plant native to North America. You can find it throughout various New England areas such as Maine, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Rhode Island.

The weed plant usually grows in cultivated areas, roadsides, fields, and other disturbed soils. It is a highly invasive plant due to its prolific production of seeds, which help sprout new plants.

Common ragweed has fern-like, green, feathery leaves, with both lobed and teethed leaf blade edges. The leaves are arranged in an alternate pattern. The plant also produces long, green flowers that turn yellowish over time.

Ragweed is best eradicated using chemical herbicides. Post-emergent week killers such as 2,4,D are very effective at controlling the weed.

These herbicides are also selective, which makes them ideal when the plant has invaded areas with other beneficial plants.

However, if you are not worried about destroying other plants, you can use non-selective herbicides such as glyphosate.

6. Bittersweet

Bittersweet (also known as oriental bittersweet) is an ornamental climbing vine native to Asia but a common sight in New England.

The plant usually grows on roadsides, fields, woodland areas, and abandoned sites and properties. It blooms in the autumn and is loved by many people due to its attractive leaves, flowers, and fruits, which completely change the landscape.

However, it is also a highly invasive plant, which can be quite destructive to other beneficial plants in the area.

Oriental bittersweet has round leaves with toothed edges, which form an alternate pattern from the step. The leaves are bright green, and so are the stems.

However, the leaves start turning yellow as the plant matures and summer approaches. By autumn, the leaves achieve a distinctive bright yellow colour, with the stems turning reddish-brown.

The plant also sprouts tiny yellow flowers from where orange berries bloom.

Oriental bittersweet is one of New England’s most difficult weeds to control and eradicate. The best way to deal with the weed is to pull young plants before they mature and form thick bushes.

If the infestation is widespread, you can repeatedly cut down the plant near the ground. Alternatively, you can use systemic chemical herbicides to kill the plant completely.

7. Stinging nettle

Stinging nettle (also known as common nettle or burn nettle) is a weed native to New England and other parts of North America and the world.

Historically, the plant was used as a source of food, beverage, medicine, and even raw material for textiles.

However, it is a highly invasive weed with a deep rhizome root system and stolons, which help it spread far and wide.

Stinging nettle is a tall-growing plant that can reach up to 2 meters high. It has soft, green leaves with serrated edges and an acute tip.

The leaves grow from upright green stems with several defensive stinging hairs. The plant blooms with small, greenish, or brownish flowers (which can sometimes be yellow if the flower is male).

You can try controlling the stinging nettle by pulling the plant from the ground. However, this is a massive task as you must uproot the entire plant – including the roots, or else it will produce new shoots.

On top of that, the stinging hairs on the leaves and stems make it difficult to handle. You need to use gardening gloves and a long-sleeved shirt to avoid injuries.

A simpler alternative is systemic herbicides such as glyphosate, which can penetrate the entire plant from the leaves to the roots, killing it completely.

8. Herb Robert

Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum) is a weed plant native to Europe but pretty common in the North American region, specifically in New England. It is a flowering plant that usually grows in woodland areas, grasslands, hedgerows, and coastal areas.

Herb Robert is a tall growing plant which can reach up to 50 cm high. It has reddish, hairy stems and dark green, palmate leaves that are deeply dissected.

The plant produces small, bright pink flowers, which form a star-like pattern with their petals.

Herb Robert has a shallow root structure; thus, you can easily control it by pulling the plants out of the soil.

However, you should do so before the plant matures and produces seeds, as it can release several seeds leading to widespread infestation.

You can use systemic weed killers such as glyphosate if you prefer chemical herbicides. However, due to its non-selective nature, you should only spot and treat weeds when growing in areas with beneficial vegetation.

9. White clover

White clover is a perennial broadleaf plant native to Europe but widespread in North America, including New England. It commonly grows in lawns, gardens, landscapes, and other areas with partial shade.

You can identify white clover by its leaves and flowers. It has trifoliate lobed leaves, which form at the top of smooth branching stems.

During the flowering season, the plant produces small, white flowers (sometimes purplish), which bloom in clusters.

You can control white clover through cultural techniques such as mulching your gardens and keeping your lawn healthy and strong.

You can also pull the weed plants from the ground by where they start to sprout. Another technique is using chemical herbicides such as dicamba and fluroxypyr, which are very effective at eradicating the plant.

10. Ground elder

Ground elder is a fast-growing perennial plant native to Europe but widespread throughout North America. It is usually found in gardens, growing beds, lawns (especially new ones), and borders.

It is an aggressive plant that can spread quickly using its rhizome root system, thus overwhelming other vegetation.

Ground elder usually sprouts from rhizomes and starts growing as small shoots with dark green leaves in late spring and early summer.

The shoots soon develop into tall stalks, from where variegated leaves form. Numerous flower heads bloom at the top of these stalks, creating an umbrella-like pattern. These flowers are similar to the elder plant, hence the weed’s name.

Ground elder is hard to eradicate once it establishes itself, as new plants will sprout from even the smallest rhizomes.

You can try pulling young plants out of the soil by hand and consistently monitoring the area for new shoots.

However, the best way to control the plant is using herbicides, particularly systemic herbicides such as glyphosate, that can kill the entire plant structure.

Conclusion

Are you looking to identify weeds in the New England area? The above are some of the most common weed plants in the region.

Most are very aggressive, which can be a nightmare to get rid of once they establish themselves.

However, with the above information, you can find out the weeds you are dealing with and deploy appropriate measures to eradicate them.

Related

• Most common weeds with thorns
• List of weeds you’ll find in Virginia
• Most common lawn weeds with scientific names

Carla Etheridge

Carla is a student pursuing a B.S in Agricultural Systems Technology. With a passion for landscaping for over 4 years, Carla loves plants. She has previously contributed to several other sites in the space before joining InsightWeeds.

The post 10 common weeds in New England and removal tips appeared first on InsightWeeds.

It also produces many seeds, which can remain dormant in the ground for a long time before sprouting. Therefore, controlling crabgrass from your lawn, yard, or garden is important before it becomes a nightmare.

There are several ways you can control crabgrass.

If you are looking to eliminate crabgrass without harming the lawn, the best method is to pull it from the ground. The plant’s roots are shallow and form clumps, so you can easily pull them out.

First, however, you need a crabgrass removal tool, which can dig into the ground, allowing you to remove the entire plant and prevent regrowth.

3 best crabgrass removal tools

These are some of the best tools to remove crabgrass from your lawn:

1. Grampa’s weeder

Do you hate squatting or bending when pulling weeds from your garden, yard, or lawn? Then Grampa’s weeder is the perfect weed removal tool for you.

It is a long-handled weed puller, which allows for effortless removal of weeds from the ground, hence the name.

But does Grampa’s weeder work on crabgrass? The weed removal tool has an open claw at the end, which you push into the ground where the weeds grow with the help of a foot lever.

Once the claw is in the ground, you lean it sideways and pull it out to remove the weeds from the root. It is thus the perfect weed removal tool for the shallow clumping roots of the crabgrass.

A few more things make Grampa’s weeder an excellent weeding tool.

To start with, it is a brilliant but simple design, which allows for effortless and effective pulling of weeds from the ground, thus eliminating the need for using chemicals.

Secondly, Grampa’s weeder is very sturdy and robust. The handle is strong bamboo wood that can withstand pressure when pushing and pulling weeds from the ground.

The metal claw is also made using durable steel and powder-coated to prevent rusting and guarantee longevity.

Pros

• It effectively pulls weeds, including crabgrass, from the ground.
• It has a simple and easy-to-use design.
• Removing weeds from the ground is very easy without applying too much effort.
• It has a very sturdy and durable design

Cons

• It does not have an ejection mechanism, and you must remove the weeds from the claw by hand.

Grampa’s weeder is one of the best tools to dig out crabgrass and other pesky weeds from your lawn, yard, and garden if you don’t like constantly bending, squatting, or kneeling.

It also features on our list of 15 best weed removal tools.

2. Walensee standup weed puller

Are you looking for a robust weed puller that can easily remove all types of weeds from any ground? Then you might want to consider the Walensee weed puller.

The Walensee weed puller is a long-handle weed digging tool, which comes with a 39″ long handle, which allows you to pull weeds without bending.

It also comes with sharp steel claws, which dig deep into the ground, grabbing the weeds you want to remove from the roots.

The Walensee Weed puller has two unique features that make using it a breeze. The first is the foot pedal, which allows you to apply maximum pressure when pushing the weeder into the ground.

The other is the T-handle lever at the top, which lets you drive the claws, twist, and pull them for easier and more effective removal of the weeds.

Even better, it is made from resin plastic on the handle. The claws are made from stainless steel.

The claws are strong enough to handle tough weeds and soil, while the resin plastic can withstand the stress of pushing and pulling it from the ground.

Pros

• The foot pedal allows you to push the weeder to the ground easily.
• Its twist and pull lever allows you to remove the weeds effortless
• The steel claws are robust and can reach deep into the ground in different earth soils.

Cons

• While the weeder is easy to use, the twist and pull action of the lever at the top might be a little bit problematic to some people in the initial days.

Walensee Weed Puller is easy to use. It is also an effective weed puller, perfect for removing dead or live crabgrass and other weeds in your lawn, garden, or yard.

3. Betus manual hand weeder

The Betus manual hand weeder is a great option if you want a weed removal tool that will pull out every part of the crabgrass (or other weeds) growing on your lawn, yard, or garden.

Betus manual hand weeder is not a standing weed puller, so you must bend, squat, or knee as you work. However, it is very effective at pulling out weeds.

It comes with a sharp V-shaped claw, penetrating deep into the soil and grabbing the entire weed from the roots, thus ensuring you pull out everything.

Another thing you will love with the Betus manual hand weeder is the curved leverage design, which allows you to quickly and effortlessly pull out the weeds.

Lastly, the weed puller is sturdy and made from stainless steel that is bend-proof and rust-resistant.

Pros

• A simple-to-use leverage design that makes weeding simple and fun
• Stainless steel design that is incredibly durable
• The sharp claw digs deep into the ground, allowing you to remove every part of the weed.

Cons

• It is not a standing weed puller, thus might require a bit much more effort.

Betus manual hand weeder is super easy to use and very effective at removing even the deeply rooted weeds, making it an ideal crabgrass weed puller.

What kills crabgrass the fastest?

While pulling out crabgrass from the ground is an effective way to control the weed, it does require some work. Therefore, it can be pretty tiring if you are dealing with a large infestation.

So, which is the fastest way to kill crabgrass?

Chemical herbicides are the most effective way of killing crabgrass. However, there are several pre-emergent herbicides that you can use that will kill the weed as soon as it starts sprouting.

An example includes Quali-Pro Prodiamine, a highly effective crabgrass preventer. Another chemical herbicide you can use is Tenacity for Turf, which works as both pre and post-emergent herbicide for crabgrass control.

What to look for in a crabgrass removal tool

There are several things you can consider when looking to purchase a crabgrass removal tool. One of them is a long handle if you don’t like bending or have issues with a back strain. However, if you don’t mind getting tired, you can go for a digging tool with a short handle.

Another vital factor to consider when looking for a crabgrass removal tool is the claw(s). Digging into the ground and easily pulling out the weed should be sturdy.

It should also be designed to grab the clumped roots of the crabgrass, allowing you to remove the weed completely.

Can you remove crabgrass by hand?

You could pull out crabgrass by your hands, especially with young plants, and if the soil is not too harsh. However, using a digging tool is much easier and more effective.

These tools can penetrate deep enough into the ground, especially where the soil is tough. They also come with various claw designs that make it easy to grab the roots and pull out the entire plant.

Conclusion

Dealing with a crabgrass invasion on your lawn, yard, or garden can be frustrating. Fortunately, there are a few ways to control the infestation, chemical herbicides being the easiest and fastest.

However, if you don’t mind getting dirty or even find manual weed pulling therapeutic, the above are some of the best crabgrass removal tools that you might consider in removing this weed from your property.

Related guides

• When to apply pre-emergent in North Carolina
• Best organic methods for controlling weeds

Carla Etheridge

Carla is a student pursuing a B.S in Agricultural Systems Technology. With a passion for landscaping for over 4 years, Carla loves plants. She has previously contributed to several other sites in the space before joining InsightWeeds.

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