33 Common Types of Weeds & How to Treat Them
Here's what to do when you're not sure what's coming up in your garden.
Weeds can take over in a hurry, choking out lawns and gardens and making landscapes look unkempt. Knowing what you're dealing with can help you decide how to treat it. There are a few common strategies that work, regardless of the weed.
“Most things are easier to control when they’re small, so catch them early,” says Clint Waltz, PhD, turfgrass specialist at the University of Georgia. “The first step is to identify the weed so that you use the correct products. That’s a sustainable way to garden, rather than just using the ‘hit and hope’ method.”
Generally, weeds are annual or perennial, and they fall into a few different categories:
- Broadleaf, such as dandelion, which have wide, broad leaves and one main vein from which others branch
- Grasses, such as crabgrass, which have leaves on either side of a round or flattened stem
- Sedges, which have three “arms” emerging in different directions from a triangular stem
How Do You Get Rid of Weeds?
Your lawn will never be weed-free, but you can prevent a total take-over if you with these management techniques:
- Dig or pull weeds by hand. This is the most straightforward strategy. If you have too many weeds, or if the weeds have long taproots or spread by underground methods, it's less effective.
- Use a pre-emergent product. “That's the backbone for weed control in lawns,” says Waltz. You'll need to use it before weeds sprout, or it won't work. Check with your local university coop extension service to learn the best time for application in your region. (Find your local extension here.)
- Use a post-emergent product. Some weeds aren't halted by pre-emergents. For those, look for products which are specific to each category of weed, says Waltz. Read the instructions so you’ll know what product works on what weed.
Unfortunately, some weeds don’t respond well to anything available to homeowners. If. you have a major problem, you may need to call a professional turf company.
Related: How Much Mulch Do I Need? Here's the Easiest Way to Find Out
Does Organic Weed Control Work?
Research shows most organic weed control products can be as toxic as synthetic types. They will require consistent, repeated applications. And they won’t control all weeds. Finally, organic products are usually are non-selective (meaning they kill everything, not just grass), says Waltz.
Can You Get Rid of Weeds Permanently?
Reality check: You’re never going to eradicate weeds. “They’re ecologically well-equipped to survive,” says Waltz. Do your best, but learn to live with imperfection so you can enjoy your outdoor space, instead of constantly battling weeds.
Here are some of the most common weeds to watch out for:
Annual Bluegrass (Poa annua)
Jokingly referred to as the cockroach of the weed world, annual bluegrass is found everywhere. It's a small, light green clumping winter annual, though there are some perennial types.
Crabgrass (Digitaria spp)
Crabgrass is a summer annual with broad leaves on either side of a stem. It stays mostly flat to the ground. It’s a prolific spreader and seed can hang around for years in the soil.
Goosegrass (Eleusine indica)
This summer annual has a flat, clumping form with a silvery coloration in the center of the plant.
Goosegrass often is found in high traffic areas where grass is sparse and is sometimes mistaken for crabgrass.
It’s difficult to control yourself, so you may need a professional turfgrass company.
Dallisgrass (Paspalum dilatatum)
Dallisgrass is a warm-season weed with smooth, flat leaf blades and a clumpy, upright shape. This grassy perennial is particularly difficult to control yourself.
Annual Blue-Eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium rosulatum Bickn.)
Blue-eyed grass is a grass-like plant in the lily family. It’s a winter annual with flat, light green leaves and tiny purple four-petaled flowers.
Doveweed
Doveweed is a grass-like summer annual that isn’t easily controlled by DIY products. It usually germinates later in the season with narrow, shiny leaves and tiny purple or blue flowers.
Purple Nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus)
This rapidly-spreading perennial has flat, triangular stems with purple to reddish brown seedheads.
Purple nutsedge spreads by tiny underground tubers and is difficult to control. It may require multiple applications of an herbicide that’s specifically recommended for sedges.
Yellow Nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus)
Yellow nutsedge is a perennial weed similar to purple nutsedge, but it has bright green foliage with yellow-ish flower heads.
It’s also notoriously difficult to control and requires a sedge-specific herbicide.
Annual Sedge (Cyperus compressus)
This is an annual sedge that resembles the perennial types, but it is easier to control with sedge-specific herbicides.
It has seedhead clusters of flat green spikes on stalks.
Kyllinga (Kyllinga brevifolius)
Kyllinga is in the sedge family, with both annual and perennial types. It has three or four leaves at the top of a bare stem and, when mowed, smells vaguely of furniture polish.
It also requires a sedge-specific herbicide.
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
Instantly recognizable, dandelion has bright yellow flowers that become a globe of seeds to ensure survival of the next generation.
These perennial broadleaf weeds will take over a lawn quickly if left untreated. The deep tap root is difficult to dig up.
White Clover (Trifolium repens)
Unless you’re looking for a four-leaf clover, you may not be a fan of this perennial broadleaf weed.
White clover was once used in turf seed mixes, so it’s prominent in the lawns of older homes. It’s a legume, so it makes its own nitrogen and grows rapidly.
Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule)
This broadleaf winter annual, a member of the mint family, is sparsely-haired with four-sided stems and reddish-purple flowers. Henbit flowers profusely.
Purple Deadnettle (Lamium purpureum)
This related broadleaf winter annual has more of a purplish leaf on top as the new growth emerges, but dead nettle looks very similar to henbit.
Chickweed (Stellaria media)
Chickweed is a winter broadleaf annual. It has small leaves and a mat-forming, spreading habit with tiny white flowers.
Carolina Geranium (Geranium carolinianum)
Carolina geranium is a winter broadleaf annual. Its foliage resembles the ornamental geraniums you grow.
Wild Pansy (Viola rafinesquii)
This broadleaf annual is recognized by its pretty five-petaled purple-blue flowers.
It’s also often called Johnny-jump-up.
English Daisy (Bellis perennis)
This broadleaf perennial actually is quite pretty with small white flowers. However, English daisy spreads aggressively and can be a tough weed to manage.
Lawn Burweed (Soliva pterosperma)
Lawn burweed is a winter annual that’s easy to control, but you’ve got to hit it in fall or winter before it develops its characteristic stickers.
Those prickly burrs will become a nuisance if you try to walk across your lawn with bare feet later in the season. If the plant has already developed these, it’s too late to treat this year.
Hairy Bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta)
Hairy bittercress is a winter annual that is one of the first to appear in late winter/early spring.
It has long, flat seedpods that can launch seeds up to several feet away.
Arricca Elin SanSone has written about health and lifestyle topics for Prevention, Country Living, Woman's Day, and more. She’s passionate about gardening, baking, reading, and spending time with the people and dogs she loves.
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