Weeds

 

Dandelion - common dandelion Broadleaf weed

A large rosette-type perennial herb

• Leaves growing from plant base are long, narrow and deeply notched

• Points of leaf lobes point backward toward base of plant

• Has large, slightly mounded yellow flowers on hollow stems

• Mature seed head is a round puffball with seeds that are easily dislodged

 

Henbit - dead-nettlebroadleaf weed

A mostly erect winter annual or biennial

• Leaves are similar to mint: rounded, toothed, heavily veined with soft hairs on top, held opposite on square stems

• Single flowers are trumpet shaped, pale purple and project from ends of stems

• Seen primarily in spring, dying with heat

 

 

Purslane - Broadleaf weed

A prostrate, succulent summer annual

• Leaves are shiny green, wedge-shaped, thick and up to 1 inch long

• Stems are thick, fleshy and purple to brown in color

• Plants are very drought-resistant

• Small, single yellow flowers may appear in the leaf clusters at end of stems

 

Common Chickweed - Broadleaf weed

A low-growing winter annual

• Plant prefers shaded moist sites

• Opposite small leaves are carried on tender stems

• Stems may root at leaf nodes

• Small compound flower composed of 5 pairs of two pale purple petals

• Plants die back with summer heat, but can survive year round at cool sites

 

Spotted Spurge - Broadleaf weed

A prostrate fleshy summer annual herb

• Leaves are opposite, oblong, and up to ¾-inch long

• Upper leaf surface has a purple to brown blotch along center vein

• Hairy stems produce a milky-white sap when broken

 

 

Knotweed - prostrate knotweed broadleaf weed

A persistent low-growing summer annual

• Prefers compacted soil of pathways and long drives

• Leaves are blue-green, up to 1 inch long and ¼-inch wide

• Small single white to pink flowers are found at the junction of the leaves and the stem

 

 Goosegrass - silver crabgrass

A narrow-leafed dense prostrate summer annual

• Leaf color is darker green than most annual monocots

• Collar area has sparse long hairs

• Seed head has 2-13 branches which are white to silver in color

 

 

Barnyard grass – billion-dollar grass, water-grass

Avery wide-bladed semi-prostrate summer annual

• Stems may be branched at nodes and frequently bent upright

• Seed head had multiple short perpendicular branches

• Seeds are coarse with short burrs

 

 

Large Crabgrass – hairy-finger grass

A wide-bladed prostrate summer annual

• Leaves are hairy on both surfaces with a prominent midrib

• Older nodes are often branched and rooted where contacting soil

• Seed head open with 4-6 slender branches

 

 

Rescue grass – prairie-grass

A wide-leafed winter annual or biennial

• Leaves are hairy at edges and on upper surface

• Seedhead is open with bending slender side branches

• Seed clusters look like cultivated wheat or rye

 

 

Smooth Crabgrass – finger-grass

A narrow-leafed prostrate summer annual

• Leaves are not hairy except sparsely haired in collar area

• Stems branch at nodes, but do not root

• Seed head has 2-6 slender upright branches

 

 

Yellow Foxtail

An erect wide-bladed summer annual

• Upper leaf surface has long hairs in collar area

• Leaves are often slightly twisted in an open spiral

 

 

 

Wild Oat - wild oats

An erect wide-bladed annual

• Plant often turns brown in summer as seed matures

• Collar area has sparse short hairs

• Stems are stiff

• Seed head is open with multiple branches carrying many single drooping seeds

 

Southern Crabgrass – summer-grass

A wide-bladed prostrate summer annual

• Leaves may be hairy on upper surface

• Stems will root at nodes

• Collar area has sparse long hairs

• Seed head had 2-9 slender branches

 

 

Quackgrass

An erect narrow-leafed aggressive perennial

• Leaf is rough on upper surface

• Collar area has claw-like fleshy appendages (auricles) that clasp stem

• Plant develops multiple rhizomes from base of plant

• Seed head is a single slender spike

 

Johnson grass

 

A very wide-bladed aggressively spreading prostrate perennial

• Collar area has short hairs on upper surface near ligules

• Spreads by multiple ¼-inch-thick rhizomes

 

 

Yellow Nutsedge - yellow nutgrass

A very rapidly growing erect perennial herb

• Spreads by rhizomes with underground tubers

• Leaves are v-shaped with a prominent midrib tapering to a sharp point

• Stems are triangular

• Seed head is semi-open, carrying yellow seeds

 

Purple Nutsedge

Rapidly growing erect perennial herb

• Spreads by rhizomes with underground tubers

• Stems are triangular

• Leaves are v-shaped, tapering to a sharp point

• Seed head is open, carrying dark or purple seeds