Weeds

Weed Identification

Ohio Perennial and Biennial Weed Guide (Ohio State University Extension)

Weed Identification from Preen (website tool)

Purdue Master Gardener Guide to Common Lawn and Garden Weeds (PDF)

Weed Identification (University of Minnesota Extension)

Unversity of Wisconsin-Madison

Weed ID Tool (identification through online dichotomous key)
Weed Selector Tool (select name of weed to get information)

Turfgrass and Landscape Weeds (Cornell University)

Giant Hogweed!!! (Ohio State University Extension factsheet)

Weed Management

Ohio State University Extension Weed Control Guide (PDF)

From The Weed Detective

Nancy Reynolds, Delaware County Master Gardener

About 15 years ago, when I was first doing my deep-dive study of weeds, I went to a program where I was introduced to this very pretty and unusual weed called carpetweed. I was very intrigued and decided to bring home a plant to study it more closely. After analyzing the leaf structure, stems and roots, I tossed it into my compost pile. I have spent the last 15 years pulling it out of my beds. My neighbors give me the stink eye every time they are working in their yards as, they too, have spent the last 15 years pulling it. Sigh!

Carpetweed, Mollugo verticillate, is a prostrate annual that forms dense circular mats of foliage. In other words, it forms a thick, low-growing carpet. And, it grows FAST! It initially intrigued me because it is one of very few weeds with a “whorled” leaf structure. It is particularly invasive be-cause it flowers (inconspicuously) prolifically from late June – September and the flowers pro-duce round seeds that STICK TO EVERYTHING! I can tell you that the seeds are virtually im-possible to pick off clothing. They don’t even come off in the washing machine. Therefore, the seeds are easily transported by animals and hu-mans to other locations.

Carpetweed is a particular nuisance in cultivated areas such as farm fields, garden beds or newly seeded lawns. It is commonly confused with Catchweed Bedstraw (Calium aparine). Catch-weed bedstraw has a square stem while carpet-weed stems are round. The only good thing to be said for carpetweed is that it is easily pulled by hand. Which is a good thing because if you have it in your yard, you will be pulling lots of it.