Lobed leaves are divided into distinct projections that not only look visually distinct but also play various roles for different plants. 

In this post, we’ll look at a comprehensive list of weeds with lobed leaves and highlight how these leaf structures aid in their survival.

1. Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

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

One of the distinct features of this common lawn weed are its deeply-lobed leaves that form a basal rosette. 

The lobes allow for efficient water channeling to the roots and also help the plant to enjoy good sun exposure by spreading close to the ground. 

Pull out or use a handy tool to remove dandelions from the roots. Herbicides like dicamba, 2,4-D, triclopyr, and glyphosate can help control larger infestations. 

2. Wild Mustard (Sinapis arvensis)

• Local Name: Wild Mustard
• Family: Brassicaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual

Wild Mustard is a summer annual found in the mustard family. It is a common and aggressive weed in the grain and forage crop fields as well as disturbed sites with high nitrogen levels.

It produces variable leaf shapes, but the lower leaves of a mature plant are broadly lobed with toothed edges. Apart from providing nutrition, the lobed leaves help to achieve fast growth and to crowd out of crops.

Repeated manual removal and cultivation at the seedling stage will exhaust the seedbank. Mowing can also help reduce seed production and spread. 

Glyphosate, triclopyr, 2,4-D, triclopyr + 2,4-D, and dicamba can be applied at different stages to eradicate the weed.

3. Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare)

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

Bull thistle, like most of its cousins, is considered one of the most noxious weeds across the globe. Part of what makes the thistle an efficient spreader is its leaves.

The weed begins by forming deeply lobed and spiny leaves that create a basal rosette about 65 cm wide. 

While they mainly ensure the growth of the weed in the next season, the leaves can also effectively deter herbivores and allow easy light and air penetration in dense stands. 

Canada Thistle has a similar leaf structure to Bull Thistle, but its basal rosettes vary between deeply divided and shallowly lobed leaf designs.

Grazing, hand-pulling, cutting, repeated mowing, and tillage done before flowering can help control small Bull Thistle populations. For larger plants, apply herbicides like dicamba, 2,4-D, glyphosate, picloram, or MCPA on the basal rosettes.

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

• Local Name: Shepherd’s Pouch, Lady’s Purse, or Shepherd’s Bag
• Family: Brassicaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 

Shepherd’s Purse is a winter annual Eurasian native commonly found in crop fields and any disturbed site.

Its leaves vary in shape, but its basal rosette leaves can range from smooth to deeply lobed. The leaves assist the weed to sprout in compacted soils and prevent being shaded out by other plants.

For fast and effective control, herbicides such as flumioxazin, glyphosate, diquat-bromide, and bentazon can be applied, based on the infestation area. 

5. Common Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)

• Local Name: Ragweed, Common Ragweed, or Annual Ragweed
• Family: Asteraceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual

Ragweed is an annual weed native to the Americas. It is a rapid colonizer of open areas and disturbed sites, but it is mostly known for its allergenic pollen that causes hay fever.

This summer weed can be easily identified by its finely divided, deeply lobed leaves with a fern-like appearance. The leaf adaptation allows the plant to withstand wind, thereby growing to a maximum height for effective pollen dispersal.

The best removal methods include hand weeding, cutting, and mowing at a height 2 cm from the soil. You can also consider postemergence herbicides like dicamba, 2,4-D, imazapic, and metsulfuron-methyl, depending on the crop or area infested. 

6. Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum)

• Local Name: Poison Hemlock
• Family: Apiaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Biennial

Poison Hemlock is a tall and invasive biennial that can be found in stream banks, roadsides, riparian areas, and edges of cultivated fields.

Apart from the basal rosette leaves in the first year, it also produces true leaves that are smooth, pale green with numerous deeply lobed leaflets, arranged alternately along the stem.

The leaves serve the basic core functions, which include efficient photosynthesis, flexibility, and herbivore deterrence. 

Herbicides like glyphosate, 2,4-D, and triclopyr provide effective control if applied in the first-year basal rosette, as the more it grows, the more expensive herbicide control it may require. 

7. Common Cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium)

• Local Name: Cocklebur, Common Cocklebur, or Rough Cocklebur
• Family: Asteraceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 

Common Cocklebur is a summer annual known for invading pastures, crop fields (especially corn, soybean, and cotton), orchards, roadsides, and riparian areas.

Besides the spiny burrs, the mature plant also produces leaves that are triangular and lobed, with toothed margins, and are alternately arranged along the stem.

Remove the weeds by hand or with a digging tool if you’re dealing with a small infestation. You’ll need strong gloves as you handle the weed. Alternatively, use broadleaf herbicides like dicamba, 2,4-D, and triclopyr.

8. Bristly Mallow (Modiola caroliniana)

• Local Name: Carolina Bristlemallow, Redflower Mallow, or Bristly-fruited Mallow
• Family: Malvaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial

Bristly Mallow is a broadleaf perennial weed native to South America. It commonly invades gardens and lawns, alfalfa fields, and pond shores.

Mature plants produce leaves in variable shapes, from ovate to palm-shaped with 6-7 deep lobes and or deeply divided with lobes. 

The leaves not only provide food and shelter for insects, they also contain a high level of mucilage which allows the plant to absorb and retain moisture even in drought. 

If the weed invades your lawn or garden, hand weed it before it produces seed in early summer. Ensure that you remove the deep taproot system to avoid regrowth. Postemergent herbicides containing combinations of dicamba and MCPA or MCPA and bromoxynil can also provide effective control against the mallow.

9.Hairy Bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta)

• Local Name: Hairy Bittercress, Hoary Bittercress, Bittercress, Land Cress, or Springcress
• Family: Brassicaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 

Hairy Bittercress is a winter annual that will be one of the first weeds to pop up in your lawn where the turf is thin or bare in late summer. 

The small, low-growing weed bears 2-4 pairs of leaflets with lobed margins that merge to form a basal rosette.

The best removal method is by hand or digging before it sets seed. Landscapers have found it easy to pull or dig as long as the ground is not frozen. Adequate mulching in garden beds, as well as maintaining a dense and healthy lawn, can also discourage growth. 

For larger infestations, consider herbicides such as glyphosate, pelargonic acid, diquat, and glufosinate, depending on the affected area.

10. Cutleaf Evening Primrose (Oenothera laciniata)

• Local Name: Cutleaf Evening Primrose
• Family: Onagraceae
• Annual or Perennial: Biannual 

Cutleaf Evening Primrose is an upright or prostrate weed that grows in thin lawns, fencerows, open fields, and waste areas.

The weed grows toothed and lobed leaves for increased photosynthesis surface area and to help it withstand drought conditions. 

You can pull out small weeds by hand, especially when the ground is moist, as it can develop a thick taproot. Herbicides containing dicamba, glyphosate, 2,4-D, and paraquat are indicated for the best control results. 

Sylvia Kiragu

Lead Editor for Insight Weeds.

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The post List of Weeds With Lobed Leaves 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.

These conditions, combined with nutrient-rich soils, provide the perfect environment for weeds to thrive. From agricultural fields to home gardens and roadsides, these weeds can spread rapidly, competing with crops and ornamental plants for sunlight, water, and nutrients.

Below is a list of the most common weeds in Iowa, complete with their scientific names, physical descriptions, and pictures.

1. Common Lambsquarters (Chenopodium album)

• Local Name: Common Lambsquarters
• Family: Amaranthaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual

Common Lambsquarters is an erect weed that grows 5-6 feet tall. It can be identified by its triangular to lanceolate leaves, wax-layered stems, and clusters of flowers on terminal panicles.

This annual plant is a prolific seed producer, an early germinator, and quick-growing, making it a serious weed of gardens, crop fields, roadsides, and other disturbed areas. 

Increased seeding rate, crop rotation, and growing of cover crops in fall are some of the cultural measures recommended to discourage weed growth. Well-timed tillage in crop fields before planting and cleaning of nearby areas can also prevent seed germination.

There are several groups of herbicides indicated for control depending on the infested area. Consult an extension expert for the best chemical strategy for your field or landscape.

2. Velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti)

• Local Name: Velvetleaf, Elephant Ears, Buttonweed, or Butterprint
• Family: Malvaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 

Velvetleaf is a native of South Asia and was brought to North America as an alternative fiber crop. Since then, it has become a problematic weed in crop fields, costing farmers thousands of dollars in achieving effective control.

You can identify the plant by its heart-shaped leaves, about 4-8 inches wide. The leaves and stems are covered in short, soft hairs, giving them a velvety feel, hence the name. 

Velvetleaf is a noxious weed in Iowa crop fields but can also be found in ditches, disturbed areas, and roadsides.

Cover cropping, crop rotation, and tillage combined with herbicide applications have provided effective weed control in cash crop systems.

3. Smooth Crabgrass (Digitaria ischaemum)

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

Smooth crabgrass is a common weed in Iowa lawns. It emerges in spring, producing light green foliage and finger-like seedheads in late summer. 

Since this grass species can produce thousands of seeds, grow in poor soil and weather conditions, it is also a problematic weed in horticultural and agronomic settings, vegetable gardens, and other landscapes. 

Apply a preemergence herbicide like siduron, benefin, bensulide, pendimethalin, or dithiopyr to prevent crabgrass emergence. For existing infestations in different turfgrasses, apply postemergent herbicides including mesotrione, fenoxaprop, topramezone, and quinclorac for effective control.  

4. Pokeweed (Phytolaca americana)

• Local Name: Pokeweed or Common Pokeweed
• Family: Phytolaccaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Pokeweed is a large herbaceous weed that grows up to 9 feet tall. It can be easily identified by its red or purple stems, large, lanceolate to ovate leaves, and dark purple berries. 

In Iowa, the heavily branched plant is a common weed of landscapes, no-till fields, and waste areas. 

Dig out the plants from the roots or apply herbicides like 2,4-D, dicamba, and glyphosate, depending on the size of the infestation. 

5. Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica)

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

Japanese Knotweed is an erect perennial that grows in dense patches, with the stems reaching heights of 6 feet. It is identified by its bamboo-like stems, ovate leaves, and white flowers borne in dense clusters on leaf axils. 

The weed was introduced as a garden ornamental but quickly became an invasive weed in crop fields, roadsides, streambanks, and other waste areas.

Remove the small colonies of the weeds as soon as you discover them. You can also utilize organic methods, make repeat cuttings during the growing season, or inject herbicides like imazapyr, 2,4-D amine, or glyphosate into stem cuttings to achieve weed dieback.

6. Giant Foxtail (Setaria faberi)

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

Giant Foxtail is native to China and was first discovered in Iowa in 1949. It can grow up to four feet tall, producing leaves with short hairs, round upright stems, and a cylindrical seedhead that droops in maturity. 

This foxtail species is mostly found in turf, landscapes, and disturbed sites. It is also a particularly problematic weed in crop fields such as corn, soybean, and canola, and vegetable gardens. 

Moderate to heavy cover cropping and crop rotation provide the best weed reduction results. 

Several preemergence and postemergence herbicides are indicated for Giant Foxtail based on the crop or area of infestation. They include atrazine, quizaloxdasqfop, glyphosate, and quinclorac.

7. Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans)

• Local Name: Poison Ivy
• Family: Anacardiacaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Poison Ivy is a native woody perennial that can grow as a shrub or a climbing plant on buildings, fences, and trees. You can easily identify it by its leaves, which have three shiny leaflets. 

The leaves are the most associated with allergic skin reactions. However, all its parts contain urushiol, the compound that causes dermatitis.

It reproduces by seeds and creeping roots and thrives in field borders and woodland edges. However, it is also found in ornamental landscapes, pastures, and noncrop lands. 

Removing Poison Ivy requires a systematic approach. First, make cuttings or clippings of the plants near the ground level and allow them to dry. 

Dig up the roots and mats from the ground and dispose of them properly. For the remaining roots, apply a non-selective herbicide like glyphosate or triclopyr for the best results.

8. Field Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis)

• Local Name: Field Bindweed or Creeping Jenny
• Family: Convovulaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial

Field Bindweed is native to Europe and Asia. Today, it is widely found in the Northwestern parts of Iowa, invading low-maintenance turf, crop fields, fence lines, and other landscapes.

It is identified by its twining vines, lanceolate leaves, oppositely arranged on the stems, and white to pink, funnel-shaped flowers with two separate, tiny bracts. 

The weed also produces extensive underground rootstocks that can grow up to 20 feet deep, making it one of the most difficult-to-control weeds if left to establish.

Field Bindweed removal calls for an integrated management system. Remove small infestations by hand-pulling. Repeated deep tillage is viable to help deplete the weeds’ resources and prevent further spread. 

For persistent plants, herbicides like glyphosate, 2,4-D, quinclorac and others can suppress the weed in different settings.

9. Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

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

Dandelion is a common weed in turf, pastures, and agricultural fields in Iowa. The broadleaf weed produces deeply toothed leaves that form a rosette about 1.5 feet wide and solitary flower heads with showy yellow flowers. 

Dandelion’s ability to thrive in a variety of conditions, efficiently produce and disperse seeds, and grow a deep taproot, makes it a routine weed to deal with every year. 

You can prevent further spread in residential lawns and home gardens by hand-pulling or using digging tools to remove the weeds when they are young. Ensure that the taproot is removed to prevent regrowth.

Spot spraying with herbicides like triclopyr, dicamba, glyphosate, or iron HEDTA can provide better control for larger infestations.

10. Creeping Charlie (Glechoma hederacea)

• Local Name: Creeping Charlie or Ground Ivy
• Family: Lamiaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

The creeping or prostrate perennial was initially introduced in North America as a salad green and medicinal herb. Today, it is one of the most common and problematic weeds in Iowa lawns.

It has rounded leaves with scalloped edges, square stems that root at the nodes, and tubular, blue to purple flowers. The weed propagates by seeds and creeping stems, aggressively spreading over large areas.

Maintaining a healthy turf is the best strategy to prevent a Creeping Charlie encroachment. For small patches, remove the weed by hand and repeat as required. Ensure that you remove the shoots and roots to prevent regrowth. A triclopyr application in the fall is effective for large patches.

11. Bush Honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii)

• Local Name: Bush Honeysuckle
• Family: Caprifoliaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial

Bush Honeysuckle is an upright, woody perennial that grows 6-15 feet tall. It was introduced from Asia as an ornamental but has quickly become an invasive shrub in woodlands, roadsides, pastures, and abandoned fields. 

This honeysuckle species grows as a dense, multi-stemmed bush, crowding understory plants. It is also noted to have allelopathic properties that can hinder the growth of native plants.

Manual pulling is a viable option for small seedlings, while larger plants can be pulled out with strong weed wrenches. Glyphosate, picloram, 2,4-D, or triclopyr-amine can be applied on the foliage, cut stumps, or applied from an aerial view for the best results. 

12. Wild Violet (Viola sororia)

• Local Name: Wild Violet or Common Blue Violet
• Family: Violaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial

Common Blue Violet is among the common violets in the state. This specific species is mainly found in lawns and wooded areas. 

You can identify the weed by ovate to heart-shaped leaves, emerging from a basal crown, and showy, 5-petaled, blue to purple flowers.

Wild Violet reproduces by seeds and short rhizomes, forming dense colonies that can outcompete turf and other desirable plants.

Repeated hand removal is effective for small patches if all rhizomes and roots are removed. Maintaining a dense, healthy turf can discourage Wild Violet encroachment. 

Applications of herbicides like glyphosate, 2,4-D, or triclopyr can also provide effective control. However, repeat applications are necessary due to the leaf’s waxy surface. 

Sylvia Kiragu

Lead Editor for Insight Weeds.

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The post Common Weeds in Iowa, Scientific Names, and Pictures appeared first on InsightWeeds.

It shares borders with states like Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina, placing it in a subtropical zone known for its plant diversity.

The Peach State also experiences hot and humid summers, along with mild winters.

These climatic conditions,  coupled with the ample rainfall and fertile soils, make Georgia a haven for many types of weeds. They typically occur in lawns, cropping systems, open fields, roadsides, meadows, and gardens. 

With such persistent and invasive flora, this post aims to help homeowners, farmers, and landscapers identify common culprits. We’ll also provide expert-recommended ways to exterminate them for good. 

1. Chamberbitter (Phyllanthus urinaria)

• Local Name: Gripeweed, Niruri, or Leafflower
• Family: Euphorbiaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual

Chamberbitter is native to Asia but has been introduced in the tropics, including Georgia and other southeastern states in the U.S. It can be identified by its grooved stems, thin, oblong leaves arranged in two rows along the stem, seed pods on the leaf undersides, and small, five-petaled green flowers. 

The weed is a prolific seed producer and can adapt to challenging environmental conditions, making it a challenging weed in lawns, gardens, and other disturbed sites.

A 2-4 inch layer of mulch can prevent the spread of the weed in ornamental areas as the seeds highly depend on sunlight to germinate. Hand-pulling when the plants are in the seedling stage is also a viable option. 

Preemergence herbicides such as atrazine and isoxaben are effective when applied at the right time in various turf grasses. Postemergence herbicides indicated for Chamberbitter control in various settings include atrazine, glyphosate, and a combination of dicamba, MCPP, and 2,4-D.

2. Annual Bluegrass (Poa annua)

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

Poa annua is a likely weed you’ll find on lawns across Georgia. The problematic weed germinates in the fall, overwinters, and bolts up again in spring. Key distinguishing features include flat leaves with boat-shaped tips and pyramid-shaped panicles with airy white and green spikelets.

It forms tufted clumps that create uneven patches on lawns, causing thinning of the turf and aesthetic issues over time. While it may be competitive with other weeds, it can particularly make lawns vulnerable to other summer annual weeds like Large Crabgrass. 

Raising mowing height, withholding irrigation, and reducing nitrogen fertilization during peak annual bluegrass growth season can reduce spread and establishment on lawns.

Common herbicides for Annual Bluegrass control in diverse turfgrasses include pendimethalin, atrazine, oryzalin. However, the grass weed resistance to these common herbicides has been reported in Georgia.

Read more about various herbicides and their turfgrass application, or consult your local extension office for the best chemical strategy for your landscape.

3. Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea)

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

Ground Ivy is a common low-growing lawn weed in Georgia. It produces prominently veined, round to kidney-shaped leaves, hairy, square stems, and small blue-purplish flowers.

Its ability to reproduce by seeds and stems, thrive in diverse conditions, and grow rapidly makes it an invasive weed to monitor.

Maintaining a healthy lawn and covering shaded turf areas with a perennial groundcover can discourage growth. Hand-pulling can be effective if the stolons with nodes are removed and disposed of correctly. 

Repeat applications of herbicides like triclopyr, fluroxypyr, or combinations of both can control existing infestations. 

4. American Burnweed (Erechtites hieraciifolius)

• Local Name: American Burnweed or Fireweed 
• Family: Asteraceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual

American Burnweed is a fast-growing annual weed, native to Georgia and other southeastern states. You can identify it by erect, hairy or smooth stems (8-10 feet high), large basal leaves, serrated upper leaves, and white flowers in elongated heads. 

While it has numerous medicinal benefits and can improve air quality by assimilating nitrogen dioxide, it can also invade gardens, meadows, fields, roadsides, and ditches, causing economic losses and reduced aesthetic appeal. 

Since it develops shallow roots, remove the weeds by hand. Cultivation and hoeing are also viable options for small infestations. Apply broadleaf herbicides like 2,4-D and triclopyr, or systemic products like glufosinate or glyphosate for larger infestations.

5. Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

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

You’re likely to come across the bright yellow dandelions in lawns and gardens throughout Georgia. Dandelions develop deep taproots that extract important resources, leading to thinning and weakening of turf grasses. 

Pull the weeds by hand and ensure to remove the entire taproot system. For tougher taproots, hand-digging tools can make the work easier. However, these strategies may require repeated treatments over a long period of time.

Maintaining a healthy lawn through proper management practices is an effective, proactive measure in keeping dandelions away. 

Pre and postemergent herbicides such as dithiopyr, isoxaben, dicamba, glyphosate, MCPP, triclopyr, carfentrazone, and iron HEDTA, respectively, are indicated for fast and effective removal.

6. Broadleaf Plantain (Plantago major)

• Local Name: Broadleaf Plantain or Common Plantain
• Family: Plantaginaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Broadleaf Plantain is a perennial weed mostly found in lawns, gardens, roadsides, pastures, and ornamental plantings throughout the state.

The weed forms deep roots and dense clumps with its basal rosette leaves, reducing the usability and aesthetic appeal of landscaping and gardens.

Repeated hand-pulling and digging are viable options for broadleaf plantain removal in gardens and lawns.

Additional measures include applying preemergent herbicides like atrazine, mesotrione, and isoxaben or postemergent herbicides such as dicamba, sulfentrazone, bromoxynil, and 2,4-D.

7. Annual Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)

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

Annual Ragweed is a native summer annual that grows about 2 feet tall. It produces much-branched stems, hairy, pinnately divided leaves, and separate, yellow-green, male and female flowers on long terminal racemes.

The weed reproduces by seed, is poor soil and drought tolerant, allowing it to spread in areas such as roadsides, pastures, fields, meadows, orchards, and other waste areas.  

Apart from its weedy and invasive nature, Ragweed’s male flowers are known for producing pollen that can cause severe allergies, contact dermatitis, and hay fever.

Hand pulling and hoeing are viable strategies for getting rid of infestations if discovered early before they develop tough taproots. 

Annual Ragweed has developed resistance to common chemical weed killers, so take every preventive measure, including continuous monitoring, and repeated pulling of the seedlings to prevent establishment. 

8. Bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta)

• Local Name: Hairy Bittercress
• Family: Cruciferae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 

Bittercress is native to Europe and Asia but has also been naturalized in North American states, including Georgia. 

The winter annual can be identified by its hairy stems, flat, dark-green rosette leaves, and dense clusters of four-petaled, white flowers at the end of the stems.

The opportunistic weed spreads by seeds and can be found in thinned lawns, poorly mulched gardens, pavers, and parks.

Control the weeds by hand-pulling, mowing, or laying mulch. Maintaining a healthy lawn will also discourage growth. 

Preemergence herbicides such as dithiopyr, isoxaben, and dimethenamid or postemergence products containing 2,4-D, dicamba, fluroxypyr, clopyralid, and triclopyr combinations can provide effective control against Hairy Bittercress.

9. Large Crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis)

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

Large Crabgrass is a weedy summer annual that spreads rapidly by branching stems, invading agricultural fields, lawns, sidewalks, and driveways. 

While it may be a desirable forage to furnish summer grazing in parts of Georgia, for landscapers, it is a pesky weed that can become a serious problem in desirable turfs and gardens.

Remove the young plants by hand or using efficient digging tools before their roots take hold of the soil. Mulching can slow germination in gardens and other ornamental areas.

You can also apply a crabgrass preventer herbicide or other common herbicides like oryzalin, dithiopyr, and pendimethalin in early spring. For existing populations, consider post-emergent herbicides like quinclorac and fenoxaprop.

10. Wild Onion (Allium canadense)

• Local Name: Wild Onion
• Family: Amaryllidaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

In your tan turf, you may have noticed small, green shrub-like plants that you can almost swear look like onions, and you’re right. The weed you see is called Wild Onion. 

It is a perennial cool-season weed that grows 10-15 inches tall. When leaves are crushed or mowed, they produce an oniony aroma, hence the name. 

Wild Onion reproduces by seeds, aerial bulbils, and underground bulblets, sticking out like a sore thumb in the otherwise dormant turfgrass. It also invades meadows, roadsides, farm fields, and disturbed areas.

Hand-pulling or digging the bulbs is an effective strategy to remove the weed. However, since the turf is dormant, the empty spots left could lead to the growth of early spring weed bolters.

Regularly mowing the leaves will cut off photosynthetic activity, discouraging the growth of new bulbs. Consider selective herbicides such as dicamba, 2,4-D, or MCPP to kill the weed without harming your turfgrass.

Sylvia Kiragu

Lead Editor for Insight Weeds.

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The post List of Weeds You’re Likely to Find in Georgia, USA appeared first on InsightWeeds.

These prolonged and friendly weather conditions allow a varying range of native and invasive weeds to thrive continuously in  landscaping, roadsides, fields, pastures, and crop farms.

Below is a list of the most common weeds found in Florida, including details on their physical characteristics for better identification and the best removal methods.

1. Florida Pusley (Richardia scabria)

• Local Name: Florida Snow Weed, Mexican Clover, or Rough Mexican Clover
• Family: Rubiaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual

Florida Pusley is a summer annual that’s mostly found in the Southeastern states, prostrate and spreading low along the ground. You can identify the weed by its pubescent, round stems, ovate to lanceolate leaves, and small, white, 6-petaled flowers at the tip ends of the stems. 

It spreads by seed but can also regrow from stem fragments, populating habitats such as thinned-out lawns, roadsides, and cultivated fields.  

Maintaining a healthy turf discourages weed growth in lawns, while a 2-3 inch layer of organic mulch can control Pusley growth in gardens. 

Preemergence herbicides used for Florida Snow Weed control have active ingredients such as pendimethalin, prodiamine, isoxaben, and oryzalin. For existing infestations, consider products containing glyphosate, dicamba, 2,4-D, metsulfuron, and sulfentrazone.

2. Chickweed (Stellaria media)

• Local Name: Common Chickweed, Chickenwort, or Winterweed
• Family: Caryophyllaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 

Chickweed is native to Asia, Europe, and Northern Africa. Today, it is widespread globally, including Florida. The winter or cool-annual weed can be found in shady lawns, gardens, pastures, and agricultural fields. 

It produces ovate to elliptic leaves, white, star-shaped flowers, and prostrate stems that form dense, compact mats across a landscape.

Frequent pulling, hand-weeding, or hoeing are viable options for small infestations. Be sure to remove the weeds before they bloom. Chickweed is a prolific seed producer and a quick-growing weed. 

Applying organic mulch (pine bark, wood chips, or pine straw) can provide effective control in nurseries and landscapes.

If you would like to prevent encroachment, apply preemergent products containing pendimethalin, dithiopyr, prodiamine, or indaziflam. Systemic herbicides like diquat, glufosinate, and glyphosate can help eradicate existing, small or more mature plants, respectively. 

3. Carolina False Dandelion (Pyrrhopapus carolinianus)

• Local Name: False Dandelion or Carolina Desert Chickory
• Family: Asteraceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 

Like its close relative, Carolina False Dandelion is easily recognizable by its basal rosette leaves and showy, yellow flowers. However, unlike the typical solitary dandelion, the flower stalk is branched, presenting several flowers.

The weed thrives in wetter areas and can be found mostly in the northern part of the state, and can invade lawns, pastures, roadsides, and open fields. 

Maintaining a healthy lawn through proper watering, mowing, and fertilization practices will improve its competitiveness against the dandelion.

4. Southern Crabgrass (Digitaria ciliaris)

• Local Name: Southern Crabgrass
• Family: Poaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual

Southern Crabgrass is one of the most notorious grass weeds in Florida. The summer annual invades turfs and agricultural fields in the warmer months, competing for space and other important resources.

Since the grass can’t tolerate cold winter months, it turns brown, creating aesthetic issues in landscaping. 

Crabgrass calls for proactive prevention. For cropping systems, dig out the young plants early to prevent establishment. 

Ensure that you grow the right type of grass for your area and practice proper maintenance for a thick, healthy lawn that can outcompete weeds. 

Additionally, apply preemergence herbicides on already established turf, such as prodiamine, pendimethalin, and dithiopyr, to prevent crabgrass emergence. Postemergence herbicides will most likely harm the weeds and your turf as well.

5. Asiatic Hawksbeard (Youngia japonica)

• Local Name: Asiatic False Hawksbeard or Oriental False Hawkbeard
• Family: Asteraceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 

Asiatic Hawksbeard is a common annual broadleaf weed that grows 6-15 inches tall. It is identified by its hairy, rosette leaves, hairless upper stems, and circular, golden flowers.

While it may be an annual in other Southeastern states, it is a persistent all-year-round weed throughout Florida. The weed can be found in lawns, gardens, ditches, roadsides, and agricultural fields. 

Hand-pull the weeds before they develop deep roots or set seed. Laying an organic layer of mulch on garden beds can keep away the weeds. 

The preemergence herbicide flumioxazin or spot treatments of postemergence products like pelargonic acid, glyphosate, and diquat can provide effective control against Asiatic Hawksbeard. 

6. Dollarweed (Hydrocotyle umbellata)

• Local Name: Dollarweed or Pennywort
• Family: Araliaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial

Dollarweed is a native, perennial weed that occurs in wet, open areas. It produces small (the size of a silver dollar, hence the name), round green leaves that form dense mats low on the ground. 

Apart from ditches and swamp habitats, Pennywort can also occur in overirrigated or naturally wet areas in gardens and lawns.   

Remove the weeds by pulling them, including the white rhizomatous roots, to prevent regrowth. Also, adopt the appropriate mowing and irrigation practices to eliminate weed growth.

7. Carolina Cranesbill (Geranium carolinianum)

• Local Name: Carolina Geranium or Wild Geranium
• Family: Geraniaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 

Carolina Geranium is a native weed commonly associated with landscaping and other disturbed areas. This annual grows from winter to summer and can reach 8-28 inches tall. 

You can identify it by its hairy, greenish-pink to red stems, round to kidney-shaped, 5-parted leaves, and five-petaled, pale pink flowers.  

While it is a popular garden plant and one of Florida’s favorite pollinators, it is a prolific seed producer and can also become weedy. However, G. carolinianum does not tolerate traffic. So, you’ll find it in border areas, including along fence lines and landscape edges. 

To remove Carolina Geranium, maintain a healthy lawn, pull it by hand from its taproot, or cut the plants before seed set. Consider a herbicide like 2,4-D and apply to young actively growing plants.

8. Goosegrass (Eleusine indica)

• Local Name: Goosegrass
• Family: Poaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Short-lived Perennial

Goosegrass is native to Africa, Europe, and Asia. While it is classified as an annual in other parts of North America, in Florida’s tropical climate, the weed grass can persist as a short-lived perennial.

It thrives in a variety of soils, including high-traffic and compacted areas, and can easily compete with other cool and warm-season turfs. As a prolific seed producer and rapid-growing grass, it can be an aggressive and persistent weed in lawns, gardens, roadsides, and open fields. 

Maintaining a healthy and vigorous lawn is the best preventative strategy against a Goosegrass encroachment.

For small, existing infestations, manually removing the crown will provide effective control because Goosegrass does not regrow once it’s removed.

Since this grass species is highly adaptable, it has been reported to develop resistance to common herbicides like prodiamine and glyphosate. We recommend engaging a local extension expert for advice on the best chemical control strategy.

9. Doveweed (Murdannia nudiflora)

• Local Name: Doveweed
• Family: Commelinaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 

Doveweed is a native of Asia and tropical Pacific regions but has since been naturalized in other tropical climate zones, including Florida. Locally, it is mostly considered a turfgrass weed.

What makes it a tricky weed to discover and keep away is its resemblance to other turf grass leaves when young. Additionally, it spreads by seeds and grows rapidly, especially in poorly drained areas. Doveweed typically invades St Augustine, Bermuda, and Zoysia turfgrasses. 

Maintaining a healthy lawn is the best defence against pesky weeds like Doveweed. Correct any drainage issues in your landscape to discourage growth.

Pull small infestations by hand and dispose of the stem fragments to prevent regrowth. Preemergence herbicides work best for Doveweed control. They can be spray or granular herbicides, including indaziflam and S-metalochlor depending on the infestation area.  

10. Florida Betony (Stachys floridana)

• Local Name: Florida Betony, Florida Edgenettle, or Rattlesnake Weed
• Family: Lamiceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Florida Betony is a native weed that emerges between September and October in North Florida and between November and December in Central and South Florida. 

The cool-season weed is erect, with square stems, serrated leaves, and clusters of pink and white flowers with purple spots. It is highly adaptable (it can thrive in two extreme conditions, like full sun or shade) and can be found in various habitats, including gardens, lawns, planting beds, and fields.

The weed develops numerous tubers and rhizomes, making it difficult to control. Hand pulling and digging out the root systems can be effective for small infestations. 

For larger areas, consider a systemic postemergence herbicide like glyphosate, as it will kill the plant down to the tubers and rhizomes.

11. Matchweed (Phyla nodiflora)

• Local Name: Matchweed, Texas Frogfruit, Turkey Tangle Fruit, Capeweed
• Family: Verbenaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Matchweed is a native perennial that is considered both a weed and a good groundcover in Florida.

It produces prostrate, branched stems, 1-inch-long leaves with toothed margins near the apex, and white to pink pollinator flowers. 

Where lawns are preferred, it is considered a weed. It spreads by seeds and stolons, forming dense mats and overtaking large areas. Where soils and environmental conditions may not be conducive for lawn maintenance, Matchweed is considered a groundcover alternative. 

If it becomes weedy, hand-pulling or applying a postemergence herbicide like atrazine, depending on your turfgrass type can help eradicate the weed.

12. Purple Thistle (Cirsium horridulum)

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

Purple Thistle is among the most common thistles found throughout Florida. You can identify it by its abundant spines on every part of the plant, including the basal rosette leaves, stems, and the compact purple brushheads surrounded by spiny leaves.

The weed occurs naturally along roads, prairies, pinelands, pastures, and other disturbed sites. It is a prolific seed producer that also spreads through underground suckers, making it difficult to control. 

Well-timed mowing after the rosettes bolt but before they flower can control the thistle spread. For long-term control, consider applying herbicides like dicamba, 2,4-D, or glyphosate on the Purple Thistle rosettes. 

Sylvia Kiragu

Lead Editor for Insight Weeds.

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The post List of Common Weeds in Florida, USA 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.

Geographically, it stretches from the Rocky Mountains in the west to the prairies and boreal forests in the east, making it one of Canada’s most diverse regions in terms of landscape.

In terms of climate, this province experiences a continental climate, characterized by warm to hot summers and cold winters. These climatic factors encourage the growth of a wide range of garden weeds.

Additionally, as the sunniest province in Canada with fluctuating moisture levels, Alberta is an ideal environment for persistent and invasive weed species.

This article covers 20 common weeds you’ll find in your outdoor space along with their distinct physical attributes for easy identification. We’ll also recommend the best removal methods to help maintain a healthy, weed‑free garden. 

1. White Clover (Trifolium repens)

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

White clover is a perennial creeping plant that generally grows 10-15 cm tall. You can identify it by its three-parted leaflets and white clustered flowers that fade to pink with age. 

It is native to Europe and Asia, and since it was introduced in Canada, it can be found throughout Alberta in a variety of habitats, including residential gardens and lawns.

T. repens aggressively roots at stem nodes, forming large patches in areas around the garden where other plants will not grow.

There are several ways to eliminate white clover. You can manually remove the young plants, grow a vigorous lawn that outcompetes the weed through increased nitrogen fertilization, or increase mowing height, preferably over 3 inches.  

2. Black Medic (Medicago lupulina)

• Local Name: Hop Clover, Black Clover, or Yellow Trefoil
• Family: Fabaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual or Short-lived Perennial

Black Medic is a common broadleaf weed in the legume family. It is native to Europe and temperate Asia, but now can be found in many regions across Alberta. You can identify it by its trifoliate leaves and small yellow flowers. 

Like White Clover, Black Medic is a strong indicator of low nitrogen levels in your outdoor landscape. It is a prolific seed producer and grows a deep tap root, quickly becoming invasive. 

Hand-pulling is a viable option for small infestations. Correct compaction, aerate, seed, or fertilize your soil to prevent Black Medic growth.

3. Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

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

Few weeds can scream spring in Alberta like dandelions. Their vigorous growth and bright yellow heads usher in warmer weather after long, cold winters. However, they can also take over gardens, and like other prolific seed-producing weeds, they stick out like a sore thumb. 

You can pull them out by hand and make sure to remove the entire taproot to prevent regrowth. Cutting the weeds before they seed using handy tools can also efficiently remove the weeds. 

4. Quackgrass (Elymus repens)

• Local Name: Quackgrass or Couch Grass
• Family: Poaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Quackgrass is one of the most troublesome weeds in Alberta. The perennial grass can be identified by its linear, light-green leaves and wheat-like spikelets. 

As an aggressive weed, it spreads by seeds and rhizomes and establishes deep roots, taking over gardens quickly. It not only competes with other desirable plants but also diminishes the aesthetic appeal of the outdoor spaces. 

Remove the clumps of grass by hand or through repeated cultivation. Ensure that you remove the rhizome fragments and dispose of them to prevent regrowth. 

5. Purslane (Portulaca oleracea)

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

Purslane is a native of Northern Africa and Southern Europe, but has been widely naturalized in Alberta. It is a low-growing succulent weed with reddish stems and flat, rubbery leaves that form dense mats in gardens. 

While P. oleracea is adapted to growing in poor soils, you’ll mostly find it in poorly maintained gardens or newly established turf. 

Hand-pulling is generally sufficient to remove purslane weeds, as solitary plants tend to cover large areas. Ensure that all leaves and stems are disposed of correctly. 

6. Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense)

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

Canada thistle is an aggressive colony-forming weed that grows up to 1.5 m tall. It is easily identified by its lance-shaped, dark green leaves with spiny margins and clusters of pink to purple flowers. 

This noxious weed spreads by seed and creeping roots, quickly overtaking desirable plants and turf in gardens. 

Pull or dig deeply to remove roots or mow before seed set to starve the weed of nutrients.

7. Leafy Spurge (Euphorbia esula)

• Local Name: Leafy Spurge
• Family: Euphorbiaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

A native of Europe and Asia, Leafy Spurge was introduced as an ornamental in Alberta and has since been classified as a noxious weed. 

It has clumpy stems, waxy, bluish-green leaves, and small yellowish-green flowers supported by bracts. It forms deep roots (up to 9m) and spreads 4-5m laterally. 

For these reasons, eradicating leafy spurge requires patience (as complete eradication may take time) and a multifaceted approach. Consider hand pulling or mowing for small, young plants and continuous, intensive cultivation for larger plants until complete eradication is achieved.

8. Common Mallow (Malva neglecta)

• Local Name: Garden Mallow
• Family: Malvaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Common Mallow is a herbaceous perennial, erect or prostrate, about 90 cm tall. It has branched and hairy stems, long-stalked, green to purple leaves, and five-petaled white to pinkish flowers. 

While it may provide beautiful blooms for the garden, it can also spread if left unchecked. Digging out the seedlings before they develop woody taproots is the best option. This is achievable before the plant develops four leaves.

9. Creeping Bellflower (Campanula rapunculoides)

• Local Name: Creeping Bellflower
• Family: Campanulaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

A common summer garden weed in Alberta, Creeping Bellflower can steal the heart with its bright, bell-shaped, purple flowers. However, it’s an aggressive and invasive plant that tends to take over the entire garden, making it a weed to watch. 

To effectively remove it, use your hands or a small garden shovel and ensure you dig out the entire root system to avoid regrowth.

10. Common Chickweed (Stellaria media)

• Local Name: Chickweed, Nodding Chickweed
• Family: Caryophyllaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual or Short-lived Perennial

While it may be native to Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa, chickweed has since been introduced in Canada and can now be found throughout Alberta.

You can identify the winter weed by its egg-shaped to elliptic leaves, small, white, star-shaped flowers, and delicate, prostrate stems that form mats on the ground. 

Remove the weed by hand-pulling or using a digging tool when the ground is moist, as it has shallow roots, and ensure all seeds and stems are well disposed of to prevent regrowth. Mulching the affected area may also control the weed growth.

11. Yellow Nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus)

• Local Name: Yellow Nutgrass, Chufa Sedge, Tigernut, Grass Nutsedge, or Earth Almond
• Family: Cyperaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Yellow Nutsedge is a native weed that you’ll probably find in poorly drained areas in your vegetable or flower garden. The grass-like sedge has yellow-greenish leaf blades and yellow or purple flower heads. 

To get rid of the sedge, repeatedly remove the small plants before they develop tubers. Eliminate the wet conditions in your garden by applying a fabric mulch.

12. Tall Buttercup (Ranunculus acris)

• Local Name: Meadow Buttercup, Field Buttercup, or Giant Buttercup
• Family: Ranunculaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial

Tall Buttercup is a perennial plant that grows up to 1 meter tall. The weed has branched stems, deeply lobed leaves, and bright yellow flowers. 

It is typically found in meadows and pastures but can also grow in gardens, displacing desirable plants through its efficient seed and rhizome propagation. 

Hand-pulling and digging are viable control strategies for small infestations. Mowing and eliminating wet conditions around the garden can also reduce infestations.

13. Annual Bluegrass (Poa annua)

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

As the name implies, Bluegrass is an annual grass that is a common and persistent weed in gardens. It is a short-growing grass that competes for resources and also forms dense clumps, overtaking other garden plants. 

Pull or dig out the small grass infestations before seed production. Repeat as many times as possible to achieve complete eradication. 

14. Common Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)

• Local Name: Garden Tansy or Golden Buttons
• Family: Asteraceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Garden Tansy is an Eurasian native that grows 30-150 cm tall. It is easily identified by its clustered stems, alternate fern-like leaves, and golden-yellow button flowers. 

The aromatic perennial spreads by seeds and short underground rhizomes, competing for resources and forming dense patches that can reduce aesthetic appeal. 

The best removal methods are hand-pulling and mowing before seed set.

15. Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)

• Local Name: Purple Loosestrife
• Family: Lythraceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Purple Loosestrife was once a beloved garden staple for its stunning pink to purple flowers. However, due to its highly invasive nature, it has since been classified as a noxious weed in Alberta and other provinces in Canada. 

It forms numerous brushlike stands that compete for resources and can outcompete other vegetation. Look out for wet areas around your garden because once it establishes, it can cause waterlogging by blocking drainage.

Repeated cutting and mowing of the young plants before they set seed will provide effective control. 

16. Yellow Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris)

• Local Name: Common Toadflax
• Family: Plantaginaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Like many other Eurasian natives, Yellow Toadflax was introduced in Canadian provinces like Alberta as an ornamental and for other economic uses. 

While it can provide stunning lance-shaped leaves and showy yellow blooms to brighten your garden, it can easily escape and aggressively take over. 

Remove by pulling where applicable or incorporate heavy cultivation to ensure you dig out all the root stalks.  

17. Buckhorn Plantain (Plantago lanceolata)

• Local Name: Narrow-leaved Plantain, English Plantain, or Rib Grass
• Family: Plantaginaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Buckhorn Plantain is a common garden weed that grows 30- 60 cm tall. It can be identified by its mature, elongated leaves with whitish midveins that form a basal rosette and a dense cluster of inconspicuous flowers on a cylindrical, upright flowerhead. 

This weed forms dense patches, quickly overtaking other desirable vegetation. It may also be a strong indicator of areas with low fertility. 

Quick removal intervention is vital for this plantain weed. Repeated hand-pulling and digging of the young plants to remove the root system is the best way to eradicate it. Monitor consistently and repeat the control measures as required to prevent regrowth. 

Laying a landscape fabric and organic mulch on seedlings can also limit weed growth and spread. 

18. Lamb’s Quarter (Chenopodium berlandieri) 

• Local Name: Lamb’s Quarter or Pigweed
• Family: Amaranthaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 

Lamb’s Quarter is an annual weed native to Europe and Asia that grows 1-2m tall. It has since spread to many parts of North America, including Alberta, CA. 

The common garden weed tends to produce many seeds, compete for important resources, and grow faster than other vegetation. Its dense growth can also shade out other low-growing plants, leading to their death.

Remove young plants by hand-pulling or apply organic mulch to suppress their growth.

19. Sow Thistle (Sonchus arvensis)

• Local Name: Mash Thistle, Field Thistle, Field Milk Thistle, or Creeping Sow Thistle
• Family: Asteraceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial

The perennial sow thistle is a common noxious garden weed throughout Alberta. It has long, slightly toothed leaves, yellow ray flowers, and can grow up to 1.5m tall. 

The weed spreads by seeds, which sprout in mid to late May in Alberta. What makes it a noxious weed is that it grows deep underground roots, such that even small infestations can choke out other desirable plants. 

Remove the young plants before they seed through digging and dispose of the fragments properly. 

20. Kochia (Bassia scoparia)

• Local Name: Tumbleweed
• Family: Amaranthaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 

Kochia is an Eurasian native that was introduced as an ornamental in Canada but has since become a problematic weed, especially in the arid and semi-arid regions of Alberta.

The thick bushy olive green weed grows about 4-5 feet tall. It is a prolific seed producer, resilient in dry and saline conditions, and germinates early, and grows rapidly, encouraging quick spread in gardens.

The good news is that the young plant’s shallow taproots are easy to remove through pulling or hoeing. 

Sylvia Kiragu

Lead Editor for Insight Weeds.

insightweeds.com/

The post 20 Common Weeds in Alberta, CA, You’re Likely to Find in Your Garden 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.

insightweeds.com/

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

Several common weeds closely resemble dandelions — some with similar blooms, others with nearly identical leaves. 

Misidentifying dandelion look-alikes can lead to ineffective weeding strategies. While true dandelions are relatively easy to pull due to their single taproot, many imposters have more complex root systems or grow more aggressively. Proper identification helps you choose the right method of control.

Here’s a breakdown of the most common weeds that look like dandelions, how to tell them apart, and their proper eradication strategies.

1. False Dandelion (Hypochaeris radicata)

• Local Name: Cat’s Ear, Spotted Catsear, Flatweed, Gosmore
• Family: Asteraceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial

Cat’s Ear is a perennial weed that grows 5-40 cm tall and can live up to 10 years. It is found in lawns, meadows, fields, pastures, and roadsides.

As the name suggests, False Dandelion is one of the most frequently mistaken plants for dandelions.

The plant has bright yellow flowers that resemble dandelion blooms, a basal rosette of toothed leaves, and produces fluffy seed heads like dandelions. 

However, the False Dandelion has hairy leaves, hence the name “Cat’s Ear”. It also has branched and solid stems, unlike the hollow single stem of a dandelion and multiple flowers per stem.

It is native to:

• Europe
• Asia

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Hand-pulling or digging out the entire plant before it flowers can help effectively control small infestations.
• Chemical control: Spray a selective herbicide containing 2,4-D for areas like lawns and glyphosate for other places with unwanted vegetation. Spot spray on the basal rosettes or plants or before the flower buds appear to eradicate the weed.

2. Common Hawkweed (Hieracium lachenalii)

• Local Name: Yellow Hawkweed
• Family: Asteraceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

The Common Hawkweed is a perennial herbaceous plant 10-90 cm tall. They are mostly found in pastures, roadsides, fields, and mountain meadows. 

Hawkweed has rosettes of hairy leaves similar to dandelions and produces small, yellow flower heads on leafless stems.

Despite these similarities, the weed has more narrow leaves with black hairs and grows in clusters with several flowers per plant.

It is native to:

• Europe 
• Asia

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Dig the entire plant from the roots to prevent regrowth. If already flowering, bag and dispose of the flowering stems to prevent seed spread.
• Chemical control: Apply herbicides containing picloram, 2,4-D, aminopyralid, clopyralid + 2,4-D amine, triclopyr + clopyralid, and dicamba.

3. Common Sowthistle (Sonchus oleraceus)

• Local Name: Sowthistle, Hare’s Thistle, Milky Tassel
• Family: Asteraceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 

Sowthistle is a tall, fast-growing weed that is frequently confused with dandelions during early growth stages. It has yellow flowers with similar petal structure and grows from a basal rosette with jagged leaves. 

However, the two differ in height as the Sonchus grows much taller than dandelions, often over 3 feet. Their seed heads are smaller and leaves clasp the stem and often have a bluish tint. They also have hollow stems that exude a milky sap when broken.

The annual weed is commonly found in crop fields, roadsides, nurseries, and other disturbed sites. 

It is native to:

• Europe
• North Africa
• Asia

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Hand-pulling is effective in removing small weed infestations and can also be used after tillage to remove any remaining weeds. Tillage is more feasible for large infestations and should be done within two weeks after weed emergence. 
• Cultural control: Consider cover cropping or plant crops at the highest density to increase competitiveness and this will help reduce sow thistle germination and seed set. 
• Chemical control: Spot spray herbicides like dicamba and glyphosate in the early rosette stage to avoid herbicide resistance. 

4. Prickly Lettuce (Lactuca serriola)

• Local Name: Milk thistle, Scarole, Compass Plant
• Family: Asteraceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual or biennial 

Prickly Lettuce is an annual or biennial plant that can reach 2m in height. It also shares several growth characteristics with dandelions.

For instance, it has yellow flowers and leaves that grow in a basal rosette when young.

The key differences that set them apart include the prickly weed’s 2m height, leaves with spiny edges, and its small clusters of flowers.

It is native to: 

• Europe
• Asia

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Hand-pulling or digging is effective if done before flowering. 
• Cultural control: Grazing or planting desirable crops at practical density can help reduce the spread of the weed.
• Chemical control: Repeated applications of herbicides containing glyphosate or paraquat on young plants can help eradicate the weed. However, once flowering stems emerge, high herbicide resistance has been reported.

5. Smooth Hawksbeard (Crepis capillaris)

• Local Name: Smooth Hawksbeard
• Family: Asteraceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 

Smooth Hawksbeard is an annual herb that grows up to 1m tall. It is commonly found in lawns, thin grasslands, roadsides, and rocky banks. 

It features loose, dandelion-like yellow flowers and narrow, slightly lobed leaves. The plant often forms a rosette at the base.

However, the Smooth Hawksbeard stems may trail on the ground or grow taller than the dandelion. The flowers occur in clusters compared to the solitary dandelion flowers. 

It is native to:

• Europe

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Pull the entire plant from the roots to prevent regrowth. This method is feasible for small infestations. Repeated hoeing done before weed establishment can also help prevent new growth establishment.
• Chemical control: Apply post-emergent herbicides containing 2,4-D or glyphosate on young plants for effective control. 

Sylvia Kiragu

Lead Editor for Insight Weeds.

insightweeds.com/

The post Weeds That Look Like Dandelions appeared first on InsightWeeds.

Let’s explore the top 20 most common weeds you would find in the great State of Texas, their characteristics for easier identification, and the best eradication methods. 

1. Henbit Deadnettle (Lamium amplexicaule)

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

Henbit is a winter annual weed that is mostly found in Central Texas and other parts of the state. The low-growing plant can grow 10-25 cm tall. 

It can be easily identified by its soft and hairy greenish-purple stems, deeply-veined rounded leaves, and purple blooms. 

It is a common weed of lawns, pastures, crop fields, roadsides, and other disturbed sites. 

It is native to:

• Europe
• Asia
• North Africa

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Trimming down the plants and hand-pulling the remaining plant fragments in spring can help eradicate henbit infestations.
• Chemical control: Apply preemergence herbicides like prodiamine, pendimethalin, isoxaben, and dithiopyr by mid-September for effective control. Postemergence herbicides indicated for henbit include 2,4-D, dicamba, triclopyr, and, fluroxypyr.  

2. Mustang Grape (Vitis mustangensis)

• Local Name: Mustang grape
• Family: Vitaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Mustang grape is a woody perennial that can be found in most counties in Texas. It can be recognized by its heart-shaped leaves with white velvety undersides and clusters of 2 cm wide dark purple berries. 

The Mustang grape can grow in any type of soil and vines cover fences, trees, shrubs, and other objects, sometimes killing entire populations of native vegetation. 

It is native to: 

• Texas
• Alabama
• Mississippi
• Louisiana
• Oklahoma

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Cutting and uprooting the plants from the roots is a viable option for small infestations. Burning can also help eradicate the weed if the plant is not twining on other desirable vegetation. 
• Chemical control: Apply products with active ingredients like dithiopyr and glyphosate on exposed stumps.

3. Nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus)

• Local Name: Purple nutsedge
• Family: Cyperaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial

Nutsedge is a common perennial weed that can grow up to 60 cm tall. It has a triangular stem in cross-section and linear grass-like leaves with a prominent midrib. 

It reproduces by tubers and rhizomes, creating a vast underground network that makes it difficult to eradicate.

Purple nutsedge is mostly found in pastures, lawns, crop fields, riverbanks, fallow lang, irrigation channels, and waste areas.

It is native to:

• India 
• Australia

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Consistent cultivation will wear out the tuber resources preventing re-growth. 
• Cultural control: Practices like mulching, cover cropping, crop rotation, and soil solarization can help control nutsedge infestations. 
• Chemical control: Apply preemergence herbicides like terbacil, bromacil, or carbamate products. Postemergence herbicides containing glyphosate, 2,4-D, or amitrole can also help control nutsedge.

4. Silverleaf Nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium)

• Local Name: Silver-leaved nightshade
• Family: Solanaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Silverleaf nightshade is a common perennial weed 30-90 cm tall. It has silvery fuzz on its prickly stems and lance-shaped leaves and also produces blue to violet flowers with yellow stamens. 

Its deep root system and drought resistance abilities make it a highly persistent weed that can be found throughout Texas. It is a common weed of crop fields, roadsides, prairies, and open woods. 

It is native to:

• Southwestern United States
• Mexico
• South America

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Hand-pull small plants or slash the weeds once the green shoots sprout.
• Chemical control: Herbicides like glyphosate, 2,4-D, + picloram or fluroxypyr.

5. Pigweed (Amaranthus palmeri)

• Local Name: Palmer pigweed and Palmer amaranth
• Family: Amaranthaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 

Palmer pigweed is among the common weeds in the Pigweed family found in Texas. The summer annual is characterized by its reddish stems and oval-shaped green leaves.

As a prolific seed producer, pigweed can invade new areas quickly. It is now considered one of the most troublesome weeds in row crop fields in areas like Rio Grande Valley, High Plains, and Central Texas. The most affected crops include corn, cotton, sweet potato, and sorghum. 

It is native to:

• Southern United States
• Northern Mexico

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Hand-pulling, tillage, or mowing is effective depending on the degree of weed infestation.
• Cultural control: Cover cropping with plants such as hairy vetch or cereal rye can significantly reduce pigweed growth.
• Chemical control: There are herbicides indicated for different crops including glyphosate, 2,4-D, and dicamba but due to its high herbicide resistance, it’s best to consult a local extension expert. 

6. Johnson Grass (Sorghum halepense)

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

Johnsongrass is a fast-growing perennial grass weed that reaches up to 8 feet tall. The leaves can grow about 60 cm and have a distinct whitish midrib. 

The grass spreads through its underground rhizomes with some extending over 60 meters in different directions across the ground. Due to its fast and extensive growth, it is considered one of the most troublesome weeds in agricultural and landscaping systems.

It is native to:

• The Mediterranean Region

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Repeated tillage and close mowing prevent seed production and rhizome growth and spread. Tillage can also expose the rhizomes to winter kill, helping eradicate the weed.
• Cultural control: Grazing livestock and crop rotation can help reduce the grass population.
• Chemical control: Various herbicides are indicated for johnsongrass including prodiamine, glyphosate, and ALS inhibitors. However, some variations have shown resistance to popular brands like Roundup (which contains glyphosate). It’s best to consult a local extension expert on the best herbicide product for johnsongrass control. 

7. Common Purslane (Portulaca oleracea)

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

Purslane is an annual weed that grows in dense mounds around spring and summer throughout Texas. It is easily recognized by its smooth and reddish prostrate stems, succulent leaves, and cup-shaped blooms.

Although it’s an edible plant, common purslane is considered a weed due to its aggressive growth, high seed production, and prolonged dormancy. Purslane is a weed of lawns, crop fields, and parks.

It is native to:

• North Africa
• Middle East
• India

Removal Methods

• Cultural control: Mulching and soil solarization can help kill the weeds and the seeds, preventing further growth and spread. 
• Chemical control: Apply preemergent herbicides containing pendimethalin, dithiopyr, or oryzalin. Postemergent herbicides indicated for purslane include 2,4-D, MCPP, sulfentrazone, or dicamba. 

8. Late Boneset (Eupatorium serotinum)

• Local Name: Late thoroughwort and Late-flowering thoroughwort
• Family: Asteraceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Late Boneset is a large fall-blooming perennial about 1-2m tall. Its notable features include its ovate leaves with serrated margins and clusters of small white fuzzy flowers. 

Despite its value as a pollinator plant, late boneset is considered an aggressive weed due to its ability to thrive in diverse habitats, rapid growth, and difficulty in controlling it once it’s established.

It’s a common weed of pastures, roadsides, forest edges, and landscaping settings.

It is native to:

• Eastern United States

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Hand-pulling the plants from the roots before they flower and seed can help control the weeds.
• Chemical control: Apply herbicides containing 2,4-D.

9. Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare)

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

Bull thistle is a biennial herb that grows up to 1.8m tall. It is easily recognized by its prickly dark green leaves and stems and solitary purple flowerheads clustered at the top of the branches. 

The weed is a prolific seed producer, quickly colonizing almost any type of disturbed area. It is also highly competitive and can choke out native vegetation. Bull thistle is a common weed of pastures, meadows, riverbanks, fields, and wastelands.

It is native to:

• North Africa
• Europe
• Asia

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Hand-pulling or cutting the plant’s roots below the surface and revegating the areas will eradicate and keep away the tenacious weeds.
• Chemical control: Apply herbicides containing triclopyr, picloram, glyphosate, or dicamba for effective bull thistle control.

10. White Mouth Dayflower (Commelina erecta)

• Local Name: Slender dayflower or widow’s tears
• Family: Commelinaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

White mouth dayflower is a perennial wildflower 60-80cm tall. It produces bright green, lance-linear leaves and two-petaled blue flowers with a smaller white petal that resembles a mouth. 

Slender dayflower is a common weed in gardens, woodlands, dry sand prairies, scrub habitats, and other disturbed areas.

It is native to:

• North America
• South America
• Africa
• Western Asia

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Hand-pulling or tillage are effective methods for small infestations.
• Chemical control: Apply products containing sulfentrazone + cloransulam-methyl. The weed is known to exhibit herbicide resistance, therefore, consulting a local extension expert is recommended.

11. Common Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)

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

Common ragweed is an annual weed that grows up to 1.5m tall. It has upright, slender stems and deeply lobed leaves with a fern-like appearance and greenish-white inconspicuous flowers.

It is a common weed of agricultural fields, gardens, waste areas, waterways, and floodplains.

It is native to: 

• North America
• Central America

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Hand weeding and slashing can provide effective control for small infestations.
• Cultural control: Plant the red clover in field crops to suppress annual ragweed.
• Chemical control: Apply mesotrione, flumioxazin, or metribuzin to prevent growth. Postemergence herbicides include  2,4-D, metsulfuron-methyl, paraquat, imazapic, and dicamba.  

12. Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

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

Dandelion is a common perennial broadleaf weed that thrives in the sunny regions of Texas. It produces dense mats of basal leaves, hollow stems, and yellow blooms. 

It is a common weed of lawns, gardens, golf courses, athletics fields, roadsides, meadows, pastures, and other disturbed sites. 

It is native to:

• Europe
• Asia

Removal Methods

• Cultural control: A combination of mulch and landscape fabric can block plant growth.
• Chemical control: Apply preemergence herbicides containing dithiopyr or isoxaben in the soil to prevent germination. Postemergence herbicides indicated for dandelion control include glyphosate, triclopyr, dicamba, mecoprop, and MCPA. 

13. Chickweed (Stellaria media)

• Local Name: Common chickweed, Birdweed, and Starweed
• Family: Caryophyllaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 

Chickweed is a cool-season weed about 30-45 cm tall. It is commonly identified by its hairy sprawling stems, broad oval-shaped leaves, and small white star-shaped flowers.

While it may be a beneficial plant because of its edible leaves, stems, and flowers it is also considered a weed in lawns, gardens, farmlands, grasslands, and waste areas. 

It is native to:

• Europe
• Asia
• North Africa

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Hand-pulling and cultivation can provide effective control for small infestations.
• Cultural control: Mulching will reduce seed germination and establishment in gardens while maintaining a thick vigorous lawn can control chickweed infestation in turf.
• Chemical control: Apply preemergence herbicides containing prodiamine, pendimethalin, dithiopyr, and isoxaben in late fall or early winter. Postemergence herbicides containing glyphosate, dicamba, triclopyr, or diquat can be applied in turf lawns, landscapes, and non-planted areas.

14. Annual Bluegrass (Poa annua)

• Local Name: Bluegrass, Annual blue
• Family: Poaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 

Poa annua is among the top invasive weeds in Texas. The clump-forming grass has vivid green, leaf blades, distinct white flowerheads, and stems that can reach a height of 25 cm.  

It is a common weed of lawns, farmlands, and other turfgrass areas where it forms unsightly brown patches in hot weather. Due to its prolific seed production and prolonged dormancy abilities, it can be a difficult weed to eradicate. 

It is native to:

• Europe
• Asia
• Africa

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Frequent hand-pulling or hoeing can help control bluegrass infestations. The empty spots should be overseeded to grow competitive turfgrass against the weed.
• Chemical control: Apply preemergence herbicides like prodiamine, dithiopyr, oryzalin, and benefin in early fall and the following early spring. Different postemergence herbicides are recommended for different grasses, therefore it’s best to consult a local expert. Alternatively, apply the non-selective glyphosate and replant the desired turfgrass.

15. Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana)

• Local Name: American pokeweed and Common Pokeweed
• Family: Phytolacacceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial

Pokeweed is a perennial shrub about 3m tall. Apart from its towering height, you can also identify it by its reddish-purple stems and hanging clusters of dark purple to black berries. 

It is a common weed in the eastern part of Texas in farmlands, meadows, fencerows, and waste areas.

It is native to:

• North, Central, West, and Southern United States 

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Hand-pulling is effective for small plants while digging, repeated cutting under the root crown, and tillage can provide better results for established plants.
• Chemical control: Apply herbicides containing dicamba, 2,4-D, and glyphosate for large pokeweed infestations.

16. Southern Dewberry (Rubus trivialis)

• Local Name: Southern Dewberry, Dewberry, and Blackberry
• Family: Rosaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial

Southern dewberry is a perennial low-growing shrub that can grow up to 90 cm with a spread of about 90-180 cm. It is easily recognizable by its hispid stems, starlike-shaped leaves with teeth on the edges, and showy white flowers.

The weed can be located in the east through central Texas in fields, thickets, roadsides, fencerows, and other disturbed areas.

It is native to:

• Eastern and Southeastern United States
• Mexico

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Pull out the plants at the seedling or low-growing stage. Deep tillage is also required to remove all root fragments. 
• Cultural control: Lay a thick layer of black mulch, straw, or sawdust in winter or spring on the area to prevent germination.
• Chemical control: Apply herbicides containing metsulfuron or triclopyr in the fall for effective control.

17. Crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis)

• Local Name: Hairy crabgrass or hairy finger-grass
• Family: Poaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual

Crabgrass is a common annual grass weed that is hard to miss in almost every landscape or turfgrass. It has coarse yellowish-green leaf blades that are grass-like, making it hard to identify in its initial growth stage. 

Once the grass is mature, the leaves become lighter and wider, creating an unsightly contrast to the turfgrass. Crabgrass can be found throughout Texas including North Texas, the Gulf Coast, and the Big Bend.

It is native to:

• Europe 
• Asia

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Uproot or dig the grass using a weeding tool to get rid of the grass weeds.
• Chemical control: Apply a preemergence herbicide containing prodiamine in early spring or postemergence products containing quinclorac or mesotrione such as Tenacity in the summer.

18. Frostweed (Verbesina virginica)

• Local Name: White crownbeard, Iceweed, and Richweed
• Family: Asteraceae
• Annual or Perennial: Biennial and Perennial 

Frostweed is a perennial herb that can grow up to 2m tall. It produces soft oval to lanceolate leaves and clusters of white flowers at the end of the stems. Frostweed is also a beneficial plant for butterflies and bees. 

It is a common weed in many parts of Texas and is mostly found in thickets and the edges of woodlands. 

It is native to:

• Southeastern United States

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Pull or dig the young plants from the roots to prevent establishment.
• Cultural control: Lay a thick layer of mulch, sawdust, or landscape fabric on the area to inhibit seed germination.

19. White Clover (Trifolium repens)

• Local Name: Clover or Dutch clover
• Family: Fabaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial

White clover is a perennial herb about 15 cm tall. The low-growing plant forms dense mats with stems creeping up to 7 inches in a year. It is also easily identified by its trifoliate leaves and flowerheads with white florets that also bear a pink to cream hue in maturity. 

While it is considered a valuable forage crop, clover can also be a persistent weed in lawns, gardens, vineyards, pastures, meadows, and roadsides.

It is native to:

• Europe
• Central Asia

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Hand-pulling or cultivation can provide effective control for small infestations.
• Cultural control: Lay a thick layer of mulch or landscape fabric to prevent seedling establishment.
• Chemical control: Apply a herbicide containing glyphosate at the seedling stage for effective control of white clover.

20. Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans)

• Local Name: Eastern poison ivy or Poison oak
• Family: Anacardiaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Poison ivy is a perennial weed that can grow as an upright or trailing shrub about 1.8 m high, or a woody vine 60-150 cm tall. It is easily identified by its compound leaflets with the middle leaflet more prominent than the other outer two. 

The weed grows throughout Texas and can be located in gardens, lawns, riverbanks, woodland edges, roadsides, valleys, fencerows, and waste areas.

It is native to:

• United States 
• Canada

Removal Methods

• Mechanical methods: Hand-pulling or repeated mowing can control small poison ivy infestations.
• Chemical control: Spray glyphosate herbicide directly on the plants or apply the herbicide on freshly cut stumps to effectively eradicate poison ivy.

Sylvia Kiragu

Lead Editor for Insight Weeds.

insightweeds.com/

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