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/

The post 20 Most Common Weeds in Texas appeared first on InsightWeeds.

It can be easily identified by its showy 2-lipped tubular pink to purple flowers which are a big attraction for hummingbirds and honey bees. 

Lamium amplexicaule Classification

• Domain: Eukaryota
• Kingdom: Plantae
• Phylum: Spermatophyta
• Subphylum: Angiospermae
• Class: Dicotyledonae
• Order: Lamiales
• Family: Lamiaceae
• Genus: Lamium
• Species: Lamium amplexicaule
• Common Names: Henbit, Greater Henbit, Common deadnettle, Bee nettle, and Deadnettle 

Nativity and Distribution

Henbit deadnettle is native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa. It is also found in:

• North America
• Central America
• South Africa 
• Tasmania
• Australia
• South America

Physical Characteristics

• Leaves: Opposite, round to kidney-shaped with a lobed margin
• Fruits: Oblong, 1-2mm long, brown nutlets
• Stems: Herbaceous. It can grow up to 10-40 cm tall
• Flowers: Showy pink to purple 2-lipped flowers
• Roots: Shallow fibrous root system

Lamium amplexicaule is a cool season annual that grows up to 10-40 cm tall. It is easily recognized by its vibrant hairy pink to purple flowers whorled around the stems.

Stems are square in cross-section (quadrangular), softly haired, and green with hints of purple in colour. They can be upright but can also trail along the ground. 

Henbit has two leaf arrangements but are generally oppositely arranged, slightly pubescent, and mostly green with purplish hues, especially in younger plants. 

The lower leaves are stalked with petioles up to 6 cm long. They are round to heart-shaped, with a crenate margin about 1-2 cm wide and 1-2 cm long. The upper leaves are 1-3 cm wide and 2-4 cm long, sessile, fused, deeply lobed, and clasping to the stem, hence the name, “amplexicaule”.

L. amplexicaule produces showy pink to purple flowers fused into a 2-lipped tube, 1-1.5 cm long. They are located in the leaf axils of the upper leaves with 6-10 flowers in a single whole. Flowering starts in April and lasts for 1-2 months. 

The seeds are brown with white spots, oval, about 1.5-2 cm long.

Reproduction, Dispersal, and Life Cycle

• Life Cycle: Annual
• Seeds: Can produce 40-200 seeds
• Climate: Temperate climate with moderate temperatures and precipitation
• Dispersal: Wind, water, and animals.

Lamium amplexicaule behaves as an annual and reproduces by seed. A single plant can produce 40-2000 seeds which are generally viable.

Seeds germinate on the soil surface or in shallow soil (to a depth of 2.5 -6 cm). The seeds beneath this depth can remain viable for at least 5 years. 

Wind and animals disperse the seeds over short distances. Water, particularly floods, birds, and contaminated agricultural machinery can also disperse the seeds over long distances. 

Similar Plants

• Lamium purpureum
• Lamium maculatum
• Glechoma hederacea
• Veronica persica

Uses

1. Young leaves can be cooked as vegetables or added to salads.
2. It is grown as an ornamental and pollinator plant.
3. It is used as a traditional medicine to treat coughs.
4. It is used as ground cover to prevent soil erosion.

Impact on Farms and Environment

Henbit deadnettle is highly competitive for important resources, negatively impacting agricultural winter crops like barley, corn, and sorghum.

While it may be good forage for livestock, it can cause mild neurological problems (staggers) in cattle, sheep, and horses if consumed in large quantities.

Henbit is a weed of open areas, pastures, gardens, landscapes, and uncultivated areas, and can outcompete native vegetation, negatively impacting biodiversity. 

As a pollinator plant, it provides food for various insects and a habitat for beneficial organisms. However, it can also host destructive pests like corn earworm and soybean cyst nematode, and overwinter the spotted spider mite which can threaten crop growth. 

Control

• Mechanical control: Hoeing, hand-pulling, and cultivation 
• Chemical control: Herbicides like Glyphosate, Paraquat, 2,4-D, Dicamba, and Aminopyralid.

Intensive tillage in summer crops will help limit the growing foliage and can help manage large infestations over time. Similarly, for small infestations, hoeing and hand pulling in gardens and landscapes can provide effective control against henbit deadnettle.

Chemical control depends on the crop system. Refer to your local treatment regimens, online resources, and local experts to get the right information for your crop. When using any herbicide always read the label first and follow all the manufacturer’s instructions. 

No biological control agents have been developed against L. amplexicaule.  

Sylvia Kiragu

Lead Editor for Insight Weeds.

insightweeds.com/

The post Lamium amplexicaule (Henbit deadnettle) appeared first on InsightWeeds.

But some weeds with heart-shaped leaves and brightly colored flowers are not the best ornamentals. Instead, they are invasive plants that can choke good plants.

However, some, such as the Wild Violet, produce purple flowers in the spring, and you can use them as ground cover or in rock gardens. 

Here are ten plants that have heart-shaped leaves.

1. Velvetleaf

• Scientific Name: Abutilon theophrasti
• Family: Malvaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual
• Native Range: Southern Asia

Velvetleaf is one of the many weeds with heart-shaped leaves. It is an annual plant native to Southern Asia and grows during the warmer seasons and germinates in the spring, with the flowers appearing in the summer.

Velvetleaf grows to a height of up to eight feet. It has branched stout stems covered in downy hairs. Also, the plant has large and heart-shaped leaves with pointed tips at their ends.

Velvetleaf has bright yellow flowers with five petals attached at the base. All the flowers grow in clusters or individually on stalks.

Velvetleaf spreads through seeds that can remain dormant and viable for many years. Therefore, the best way to eliminate them is to use a pre-emergent herbicide.

2. Black Bindweed

• Scientific Name: Fallopia convolvulus
• Family: Polygonaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual
• Native Range: Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa

Black bindweed is a fast-growing annual weed native throughout Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa. It is among the many invasive outdoor plants with heart-shaped leaves.

Black bindweed grows to a height of up to 1.5 meters. It has alternate, broad, heart-shaped leaves with a petiole. Also, its flowers are small and can be greenish pink or greenish white.

When the stems of black bindweed grow, they twine clockwise around the stems of other good plants.

You can prevent this by applying an herbicide like glyphosate to the plant in the fall when it is actively growing. However, treatment should be continuous to reduce seed production.

3. Hairy Bittercress

• Scientific Name: Cardamine hirsuta
• Family: Brassicaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual or Biennial
• Native Range: Western Asia

Hairy Bittercress is an annual and sometimes biennial weed native to Western Asia. Although it is an invasive plant, some countries use it as food in green salads.

Hairy Bittercress grows to a height of up to 12 inches. The plant is usually erect with branches near the base.

The leaves of the Hairy Bittercress weed grow in a rosette at the base of the stem. They have up to 15 leaflets and are ovate. Also, the plant has white flowers with white petals.

When Hairy Bittercress becomes invasive, hand pulling or hoeing becomes the best method to remove them. Alternatively, use a pre-emergent to prevent its regrowth.

4. Bermuda Buttercup

• Scientific Name: Oxalis pes-caprae
• Family: Oxalidaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial
• Native Range: South Africa

Bermuda Buttercup is a perennial weed native to South Africa. It is a small plant with heart-shaped leaves because it can only grow to a height of 45 centimeters.

Bermuda Buttercup is easily identifiable because of its brightly-colored yellow flowers composed of five petals. The plant has a short vertical stem attached to a pale brown underground bulb.

Bermuda Buttercup has clover-like leaves shaped like a heart arising from an enlarged basal stem tip. Each leaflet has a hairy lower surface.

Bermuda Buttercup is an invasive weed that can be difficult to control mechanically. Therefore, chemical application is effective in killing it.

5. Sweet Violet

• Scientific Name: Viola odorata
• Family: Violaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial
• Native Range: Europe and Asia

Sweet Violet is a perennial weed native to Europe and Asia. The plant blooms in the late winter and early spring.

Sweet Violet is a low-growing plant with hairy, heart-shaped leaves and a deep green color. It has purple or blue-violet flowers with five oval petals. However, the plant sometimes has white or lilac flowers.

Sweet Violet has a long taproot system and is among wild plants with heart-shaped leaves. Therefore, you can eliminate it by hand pulling to remove the roots. But a permanent solution involves applying a herbicide.

6. Japanese Morning Glory

• Scientific Name: Ipomoea nil
• Family: Convolvulaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual or Perennial
• Native Range: Tropical Americas (Central America and Mexico)

Japanese Morning Glory is technically a perennial plant. But depending on the climate where it is naturalized, the plant can be an annual.

Despite its name, Japanese Morning Glory is not native to Japan. Instead, it is native to tropical Americas, especially Central America and Mexico.

Japanese Morning Glory is a climber with twinning stems. Its stems can twine up to five centimeters.

Also, it has ovate to circular leaves, with their base heart-shaped. Japanese Morning Glory produces blue to reddish-purple flowers with whitish tubes.

The plant can be invasive in fertile soils. Thus, you can remove it by hoeing or applying a chemical solution.

7. Henbit deadnettle

• Scientific Name: Lamium amplexicaule
• Family: Lamiaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual
• Native Range: Europe, Asia, Northern Africa

Henbit deadnettle is an annual weed native to Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa. The plant grows to a height of 9.8 inches with a soft, finely hairy stem.

Henbit deadnettle has rounded, heart-shaped leaves with lobbed margins on opposite ends. It produces pink to purple flowers that emerge from the step where the leaf joins the stem.

Henbit deadnettle has seeds that germinate in the fall. Thus, the plant flowers early in the spring.

You can eliminate Henbit deadnettle before its seeds germinate using a herbicide. Hand pulling or hoeing can also remove its roots if it has invaded. We discussed the best henbit elimination methods earlier.

8. Yellow Wood Sorrel

• Scientific Name: Oxalis stricta
• Family: Oxalidaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual and Perennial
• Native Range: North America, Eurasia

Yellow Wood Sorrel is an annual and perennial weed native to North America and Eurasia. The plant is a low-lying weed that can grow up to 38 centimeters tall.

Yellow Wood Sorrel is easily recognizable because of its light-green, clover- or heart-shaped leaves. It has small, delicate flowers that are yellow.

Yellow Wood Sorrel spreads by the seed. Its seeds can disperse up to four meters away.

The best way to deal with Yellow Wood Sorrel is to hoe it or hand pull it before it sets seed or flowers. Since it requires full sun to grow, you can smother it with a deep layer of soil or mulch.

9. Creeping Charlie

• Scientific Name: Glechoma hederacea
• Family: Lamiaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial
• Native Range: Europe

Creeping Charlie is a ground-cover plant with heart-shaped leaves. It is a perennial weed native to Europe but naturalized worldwide.

Creeping Charlie has heart-shaped toothed leaves and purple flowers. Its petioles are long and attached to square stems rooting at the nodes.

It is an invasive weed in North America that spreads by stolon or seeds. It grows aggressively and can kill other plants that come in contact with it.

Creeping Charlie has an extensive root system that can be challenging to eradicate through mechanical means like hand pulling or hoeing. 

Therefore, chemical control is the only effective method of eliminating Creeping Charlie.

10. Giant Knotweed

• Scientific Name: Reynoutria sachalinensis
• Family: Polygonaceae
• Native Range: Asia, Russia

Giant Knotweed is a perennial plant native to Asia and Russia. The plant grows to a height of four meters with strong, extensively spreading rhizomes.

Giant Knotweed has small, sparse, greenish flowers with heart-shaped leaves and a crenate margin. Its stem is upright, round, and hollow with swollen nodes resembling bamboo shoots.

Giant Knotweed spreads through rhizomes. If it invades your garden, you can remove it through hand-pulling. However, chemical control is more effective in preventing its regrowth.

11. Asarabacca

• Scientific Name: Asarum europaeum
• Family: Aristolochiaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial
• Native Range: Europe

Asarabacca, or European wild ginger, is a perennial weed native to Europe. The plant has stems that grow to 15 centimeters, each with two leaves.

Asarabacca has heart-shaped dark green and glossy leaves. The plant has solitary flowers that are brownish towards their ends and dark purple toward the center.

You can remove Asarabacca by hand pulling or hoeing. Chemical application is also effective in eliminating the weed.

Have your say?

Which weeds with heart-shaped leaves and brightly colored flowers have you maintained in your garden? 

Carla Etheridge

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

The post List of weeds with heart-shaped leaves appeared first on InsightWeeds.

Many weeds are difficult to remove. They also take up valuable space and compete with other plants for important resources like water, sunlight and nutrients.

Since there are many types of weeds, many of them bearing similar characteristics, it can be hard to identify and distinguish them. Here, we’ll help you identify weeds with purple flowers and provide removal tips that work.

1. Creeping Charlie/ Ground Ivy

Creeping Charlie, scientifically known as Glechoma hederacea, is a very problematic weed. It is low-growing, usually between a few inches to two feet above the ground. As the name suggests, this plant is a creeper with fibrous roots that spread far and wide.

So if you spot a vine weed with purple flowers on your lawn, it could be a creeping Charlie.

Another thing to note about ground ivy is its shiny dark green leaves with serrated edges, which grow in opposite pairs along its square-shaped stems. The purple flowers bloom in the spring and summer.

This lawn weed is particularly problematic due to the large number of seeds it produces and its ability to spread vegetatively by rooting at the leaf nodes.

We’ve previously discussed several ways to get rid of creeping Charlie. Here’s a list of the most effective methods:

• Pulling: Most common for small pieces of land
• Digging: Better for relatively larger spaces which you intend to utilize
• Spraying: Use of herbicides for large areas
• Mulching: This prevents creeping Charlie from growing back.

2. Henbit

This weed with tiny purple flowers in the grass (where it is often found) is often confused with creeping Charlie. Although they belong to the same family, they are not the same plant. Henbit is the less aggressive cousin to creeping Charlie.

This one, however, has hairy stems, rounded leaves, purple funnel-shaped flowers, and short stature, growing 10-25 cm above the ground. It also has a shallow fibrous root system.

A single henbit plant could produce up to 2,000 seeds in the spring, and you may want to get rid of it if you are a cattle farmer or have other plants growing around it, especially those that do not coexist well with other plants.

The removal techniques for henbit are similar to those of the creeping Charlie. However, you can also use other chemicals, as indicated here.

3. Canada thistle/creeping thistle

The scientific name for creeping thistle is Cirsium arvense. It is a perennial weed with a deep root system, making it very difficult to remove by hand.

The leaves are dark green, and its small purple flowers grow in clusters. They spread very fast, so early removal is key.

This is best done by trimming the plant down to ground level and then digging deep enough that the entire root system is removed. Note that you have to trim the plant multiple times to get rid of it completely.

4. Black nightshade

Solanum nigrum, a problematic garden weed, grows about two feet tall with small dark green leaves. The flowers could be white or purple.

It is particularly dangerous because many confuse it with the edible nightshade, but if ingested, black nightshade causes stomach pain, diarrhoea and vomiting. The sap can also irritate the skin.

Removal can be done by hand pulling (wear gloves to avoid irritation), and if it has already produced seeds, dig up the entire plant and double-check the garden to ensure you got everything out.

5. Crane’s bill/Dove’s foot

Geranium molle has a deep root system and grows to about 20 cm in height. The leaves are lobed, and the small flowers have five petals.

For removal, it is best to hand pull or dig the root out, and it is best to do this in spring or fall. Mulching prevents the weed from sprouting again, but be careful to keep the mulch away from the base of trees.

6. Common thistle/Spear thistle/Bull thistle

Cirsium vulgare is among the easiest purple-flowered weeds to detect. It can grow quite tall, even reaching 6 feet. The leaves are prickly, and the stem is covered in tiny thorns. It grows both in the wild and in gardens.

The best way to get rid of it is by hand pulling from the root if you have a small piece of land. For larger areas, you can use herbicides, but be careful not to get them on your other plants.

7. Forget-me-nots

Myosotis sylvatica, commonly known as Forget-me-nots, is a weed with tiny purple flowers often found in gardens and lawns. It grows low, with a height of up to 12 inches, with hairy leaves, and is considered quite invasive.

For removal, it is best to use a pitchfork to loosen the soil and hand-pull them by the root. You may need to repeat this a few times. If you don’t have a pitchfork, use a closely similar tool from this list of weeding equipment.

You can also use a glyphosate-based weed killer such as Roundup, but be careful not to damage other plants.

8. Wild violets

Viola Odorta is a beautiful but problematic weed with dainty purple flowers growing at the top. Once they take root, they become hard to control. They are very competitive with other plants and spread quite fast.

To get rid of these, hand pulling is the most effective method, but it can be time-consuming, especially if you have a large piece of land. The alternative is using herbicides and taking the necessary precautions to avoid damaging other plants.

9. Selfheal/Healall

Prunella vulgaris is a perennial weed with small tubular flowers and serrated leaves, mostly found in moist, shady areas. It is edible, with the leaves being cooked or eaten raw in salads and the flowers used as tea.

Removing this fast-spreading plant by hand-pulling them or mowing them before they flower is most effective in preventing seed production. It is not advisable to use herbicides on this plant, as they barely work.

10. Musk thistle/Nodding thistle

Carduus nutans are among the purple weeds found in grass and meadows. It takes two years for this plant to complete its life cycle, growing leaves from a rosette to the ground in the first year and a flowering stalk of up to 6 feet sprouts in the second year.

The flower comprises a cluster of many smaller flowers at the top of the stalk. Its spiny leaves form underneath the flower and produce up to 50,000 seeds per plant, which remain viable in the soil even after ten years.

This problematic weed is very competitive with other plants and can be poisonous to livestock if consumed in large amounts.

For removal, hand pulling is the best option, but it is best to protect your skin from the spiny leaves. Another option is using herbicides. The best time to remove musk thistle is during the rosette stage (first year) or the flowering stage in the second year.

More about weeds

• The most common weeds in New England
• These 10 weeds that stick to your clothes
• List of plant identification apps for Android

Carla Etheridge

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

The post 10 common weeds with purple flowers appeared first on InsightWeeds.

Weeds are everyone’s nightmare; some are highly invasive and can easily overwhelm other crops or grass.

Unfortunately, most of them are also pretty hard to eliminate and can keep coming back.

However, if you know what weeds you are dealing with, you can have an easier time getting rid of them.

You must identify the weeds to know the best eradication technique to use. One of the easiest ways to identify weeds is by photo and other characteristics that stand out.

These are the 10 most common weeds with white flowers and how you can identify and get rid of them:

1. White clover

White clover is the most common among lawn weeds that have white flowers. It is a herbaceous perennial plant native to Central Asia, Europe, and the British Isles.

However, it can also be found in several parts of the world, including North America.

White clover has trifoliate (three oval-shaped) leaves and distinctive white (sometimes pink) flowers that form a cluster-like arrangement.

It is also a creeping plant, which uses stolons to spread, forming a mat-like coverage on the ground. White clover is aggressive and can be hard to eradicate when it takes hold.

However, there are a few techniques you can use. The first one is to pull it by hand or with digging tools. You can also use homemade weed killers such as vinegar and dish soap.

Lastly, you can use selective herbicides, for example, those containing dicamba, quinclorac, clopyralid, and fluroxypyr.

2. Bindweed

Bindweed is a perennial field weed native to Europe but also very common throughout North America. It is a climbing weed with thin, thread-like vines that grow around plants and other erect objects.

It has arrowhead-shaped leaves and trumpet-shaped white (sometimes pink) flowers. Bindweed is hard to eliminate due to its large and resilient root system.

Therefore, pulling it by hand might not work. Instead, you should use organic methods such as vinegar, dish soap solutions, and boiling water.

You can also use chemical herbicides such as glyphosate and dicamba.

3. Yarrow

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is a flowering weed plant native to North America, Asia, and Europe. It is a common sight around fence rows, open forests, meadows, lawns, gardens, and yards.

Yarrow has trifoliate leaves with a smooth surface and an egg-like shape. It is a herbaceous plant with stems that function as stolons.

You can also identify the plant by its little white flowers in the grass, which form a cluster arrangement and rise above the leaves.

Yarrow is a resilient plant that is hard to eliminate. However, you can kill it using selective herbicides such as triclopyr or dicamba.

You can also use non-selective weed killers such as glyphosate, but at the risk of killing other plants.

4. White nettle

White nettle (also known as white dead nettle) is a flowering plant native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa.

However, it is now found worldwide, including in North America. It commonly grows on roadsides, waste areas, woodlands, and even gardens with fertile soils.

White nettle is a tall-growing weed plant with green, four-angled stems. It produces broad, triangular-shaped leaves with soft hairs, serrated margins, and a rounded base. It also produces white flowers on the upper part of the stem.

There are two effective techniques for getting rid of white nettle. The first one is homemade remedies such as vinegar, boiling water, dishwasher soap, etc.

The second is to use systemic herbicides such as glyphosate, which can target and kill the entire plant.

5. Black nightshade

Black nightshade is a flowering weed plant, which is native to Europe, parts of Africa, North and South America, Asia, and Australian regions.

The plant usually grows in dump areas, under tree shades, in woody areas, near quarries, and old ruins. However, it can also be found in gardens, either as a cultivated plant or having invaded the fertile soil.

Black nightshade is a perennial shrub that can grow up to more than a meter high. It has broad, heart-shaped leaves, which can have a wavy or toothed margin.

The leaves are hairy on both the upper and bottom surfaces. The plant also produces small white flowers with yellow anthers and green berries that turn dark when they ripen.

You can eliminate black nightshade using mechanical weed control methods such as pulling by hand (or digging tools) or mowing.

However, chemical herbicides such as glyphosate will be effective if dealing with a persistent infestation.

6. Daisy weeds

Daisy weeds are flowering plants native to Europe and Asian regions but have spread worldwide, including the Americas and Australia.

They are among the most common lawns and grass weeds in various areas, from neglected grasses to properly managed lawn turfs.

Daisy weeds have spoon-shaped, dark green leaves with a smooth surface. However, their most unique feature is their flowers – the plant produces solitary flowers with yellow inner florets.

While daisies are considered flowers by most people, they are pretty aggressive and can spread easily through their rhizome root system.

However, you can control them using various techniques. For example, pulling by hand or digging tools is effective when you have a few plants.

You can also use selective herbicides such as 2,4-D, dicamba, or triclopyr when dealing with a large infestation.

7. Dandelions

Dandelions are another common weed found in lawns, gardens, fields, forests, wastelands, etc. It is native to Europe and Asia but widespread in other regions such as North America.

The plant is easily identifiable by its basal rosette leaves, which have widely spaced teethed edges. It also produces white or yellow blooms, which grow on a single, hollow stem.

You can eliminate dandelion weeds by mowing your lawn during the flowering stage. Frequent pulling by hands or special tools can also eliminate small infestations.

However, chemical herbicides are more effective when dealing with a huge invasion of dandelions. These include pre and post-emergent herbicides and selective lawn weed killers.

8. Common chickweed

Common chickweed is a low-spreading perennial weed plant native to Europe but widespread in most regions. It primarily grows in fields, gardens, nurseries, lawns, and turf grass.

While low-spreading, common chickweed has erect stems with leaves growing opposite to each other along the stem.

The leaves are broad and egg-shaped, with pointy tips. The weed also produces showy, white flowers with five deeply cut petals at the end of each stem.

Common chickweed has shallow roots and thus can be eliminated by pulling or digging with a shovel or other tools.

However, chemical herbicides such as selective weed killers for lawns are ideal when dealing with several weeds. You can also spot-treat with non-selective herbicides, which risk killing other plants.

9. Thorn apple

Thorn apple, also known as Datura stramonium or jimsonweed, is another weed with white flowers. It is also one of the most popular weeds with thorns.

The weed is native to Central America but has spread over several regions. It commonly grows in disturbed soils, river banks, agricultural fields, and gardens.

Thorn apple has thick erect stems, which branch off repeatedly from where leaves and flowers grow.

The leaves are large, have a smooth surface, and a toothed margin. The plant blooms trumpet-shaped white flowers that have a pleasant odor.

It also has conspicuous green, egg-shaped seed capsules covered with spikes – hence the name thorn apple.

You can eliminate thorn apples by pulling or digging out the entire plant. If you decide to pull, make sure to use proper gardening gloves to protect you from its thorns.

However, you should dispose of it entirely by burning or burying it in plastic wrap if it has produced seeds.

Use broad-spectrum chemical herbicides to kill the plant, but take care not to spray other crops.

10. Henbit weed

Henbit weed is another popular type of weed those blooms white (sometimes purple) flowers. It is common in Europe, South America, North America, Asian regions, and Australia.

You can find it growing in lawns, gardens, waste areas, crop fields, roadsides, pastures, etc. Henbit weed has a square-shaped stem, from where scalloped, heart-shaped leaves emerge.

The lower leaves grow from the stem in a petal formation, while the upper leaves are directly attached. Flowers (white or purplish) are grown at the top of each branch.

You can eradicate henbit weed using natural remedies such as pulling by hand or applying vinegar, corn gluten meal, and dish soap solution.

You can also use chemical herbicides such as selective lawn herbicides, for example, roundup for lawns.

Conclusion

Are you dealing with unidentified weeds with white flowers on your lawn, garden, crop field, or property?

The above are some of the most common weeds that have white flowers. Included is information on where they are likely to grow, identifying features, and effective solutions you can use to eradicate them.

Related Guides

• Common weeds with pink flowers
• Weeds that look like small trees
• Is bamboo the tallest grass?
• Types of weeds with burrs
• List of common weeds with scientific names

Carla Etheridge

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

The post 10 common weeds with white flowers appeared first on InsightWeeds.

If you’re wondering whether henbit is the same as creeping Charlie, you’re on the right track.

They are not the same thing, but you can think of henbit as the less aggressive cousin to the infamous ground ivy/creeping Charlie.

How to identify henbit

You can easily spot this low-growing plant in your garden through its distinctive soft and hairy stems, rounded leaves and short stature.

A mature henbit plant grows to 10-25 cm tall.

Why get rid of henbit?

As much as henbit is non-invasive, holds soil in place and protects it during winter, and is nutritious to humans, it develops a shallow fibrous root system as it matures.

Henbit’s root system would affect the growth of other plants and lawns. However, the plant is not harmful or competitive with other species and is generally not a problem weed.

Suppose you are, however, a cattle farmer. In that case, you might want to minimize or eliminate them because of their ability to cause minor neurological problems in grazing animals if consumed in large amounts.

When you notice that the henbit is starting to affect the health of surrounding plants (discoloured leaves, low yields, among others) or stunting growth for younger plants, then that means that the henbit is competing with them, and it is probably time to get rid of them.

Benefits of henbit

The first question I bet you’re asking yourself is, ‘is henbit good for the soil?

The short answer is yes. As previously mentioned, henbit protects soil from harsh conditions and keeps it in place in the winter by acting as a barrier between the soil and the air’s temperature changes.

It also holds moisture during dry periods.

Apart from benefitting the soil, henbit is also of great value to humans. It is highly nutritious and rich in essential iron, fibre and vitamins.

Moreover, its stems, flowers and leaves can be cooked or consumed raw in salads and smoothies.

How to get rid of henbit

Because of the abundance of seeds found in the henbit’s flowers (up to 2,000 seeds from each plant), the best time to kill them is in the spring before they flower.

There are various ways to get this done, both manually and by the use of chemical herbicides.

Hand pulling

Uprooting is the quickest way to get rid of henbit in spring.

For this method, you will need a few tools:

• A pair of garden shears
• A hose or watering can
• A pitchfork
• A garden trowel or weeding tool
• Gardening gloves. This is optional but advisable because you will manually grasp and pull the plants.

Once your tools are rounded up, follow these simple steps:

1. Trim the stems and leaves

Trim the plant down enough that there is just enough left above ground for you to grasp firmly.

Be sure to throw the trimmings in a garbage bag as you cut them to prevent spreading the seeds or any parts that could regenerate.

2. Moisten the area

The hose or watering can soak the area with the plant, ensuring that every part is well covered.

Wait about 30 minutes to an hour before carrying on with the process to allow the soil time to absorb the water.

3. Loosen the soil

Do this using the pitchfork, and get deep enough to expose the roots.

This process is essential for you to uproot the entire plant without leaving the stem lodged in the soil.

4. Remove the roots

Firmly secure the base of the plant and pull it out gently but firmly. You may need to loosen the soil a little more with the pitchfork if the roots are deep or firmly holding on.

It is important to make sure that you remove the entire root in one piece to ensure they won’t sprout again.

5. Inspection

Inspect any roots that have been left over using a weed or garden trowel. This step makes the next few passes a lot easier.

Remember that this method needs several run-throughs to ensure you completely get rid of them.

If henbit has flowered, take the extra measure of treating the soil to prevent the seeds from germinating. One of the most effective and beneficial ways of doing this is by adding corn gluten meal to the soil.

Unlike chemicals, corn gluten has to be added repeatedly for you it to be effective. However, it also adds beneficial nutrients to the soil that your plants will use to grow healthier.

Herbicides

If you are dealing with a large piece of land that is too large to hand-pull, you may have to opt for a chemical option.

You could either use a selective herbicide such as those containing 2,4-D. These herbicides will only target the henbit. You can also use herbicides that are non-selective if you are dealing with more weeds and you haven’t planted yet.

To eliminate henbit using herbicides:

1. Mix the chemical with water

Mix the herbicide with water precisely according to the manufacturer’s instructions to avoid causing damage to your plants.

You can mix directly from a pump sprayer or pour it inside after mixing. Make sure to wear protective clothing to protect your skin, nose and eyes.

2. Spray

Concentrate on the stems and leaves and allow them to soak downwards. You can use a piece of cardboard as a shield for other plants or cover them in a tarp.

As soon as the henbit is visibly dead, pick up the remaining bits and inspect the area like you would with the hand-pulling method.

You’ve finally eliminated henbit.

Related

• 10 weeds that stick to your clothes
• Will sand stop weeds from growing?

Carla Etheridge

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

The post How to get rid of henbit appeared first on InsightWeeds.