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

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

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

1. Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

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

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

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

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

It is native to:

• Europe
• Asia

Removal Methods

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

2. Crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis)

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

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

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

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

It is native to:

• Europe
• Asia
• North Africa

Removal Methods

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

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

3. Broadleaf Plantain (Plantago major)

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

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

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

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

It is native to:

• Europe
• Central Asia

Removal Methods

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

4. Purple Deadnettle (Lamium purpureum)

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

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

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

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

It is native to:

• Europe
• Asia

Removal Methods

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

5. Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea)

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

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

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

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

It is native to:

• Europe
• Asia

Removal Methods

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

6. Spurge (Euphorbia esula)

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

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

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

It is native to:

• Central and Southern Europe
• Asia

Removal Methods

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

7. Wild Violet (Viola sororia)

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

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

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

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

It is native to:

• United States
• Canada

Removal Methods

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

8. Yellow Nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus)

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

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

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

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

It is native to:

• Southern Europe
• Africa
• Asia

Removal Methods

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

9. Spiny Sowthistle (Sonchus asper)

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

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

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

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

It is native to:

• Africa
• Asia
• Europe

Removal Methods

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

10. Bermuda Grass (Cynodon dactylon)

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

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

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

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

It is native to:

• Africa

Removal Methods

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

Sylvia Kiragu

Lead Editor for Insight Weeds.

insightweeds.com/

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