Learn which weeds are invading your outdoor space and how to get rid of them

Learning the most common types of weeds can help you identify these plants in your lawn and garden. Many common weeds have "weed" in their name, like ragweed, knotweed, and chickweed.

Weeds are often thought of as nuisance plants that invade lawns and gardens. If you can identify which plants are weeds, you can also learn how to control or eradicate these common types of weeds.

You might not want to get rid of some attractive weeds, as they can serve as a useful groundcover, they can be potted to remain controlled, and some are edible. Poisonous or extremely invasive weeds are best removed, while other weeds may be more welcome around your home.

Use the photos in this list to identify 42 common weeds, while also learning about their potential pros and cons, as well as how to eradicate them.

Common Weed Characteristics

• Weeds often reproduce in different ways: rhizomes, cuttings, runners
• They produce many seeds, usually tiny seeds, that have burrs, float, or disperse easily
• If you pull some weeds out, they might break off and re-sprout
• Weeds are fast-growing and can usually live in many environments, soils, and conditions

• 01 of 42

  Poison Sumac (Toxicodendron vernix)

  

  Poison sumac is a shrub (some consider it a small tree) that grows in wet areas, often next to cinnamon ferns and cattails. You will not find it trailing over the ground or climbing trees, as you sometimes find poison ivy.

  As is often the case with toxic plants, poison sumac can also be very attractive; its white berries and bright fall foliage make pretty, albeit potentially dangerous, yard accents.1

  How to control it: No matter what method is used, it might take more than one attempt to achieve complete success—and you might find yourself using several different ways. You can dig and pull, smother, or use herbicide. Whichever method you choose, wear long sleeves, boots, protective eyewear, and gloves whenever you are in an area where poison sumac is suspected.

  Warning

  Every part of the poison sumac plant is poisonous and can cause serious rashes if touched.

• 02 of 42

  Japanese Knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum)

  

  Polygonum cuspidatum goes by several common names, including Japanese knotweed and fleece flower. Several other common names include "bamboo" in them, such as "Mexican bamboo" or "American bamboo."

  While its autumn flower does, indeed, look fleecy, "fleece flower" is just too dainty a name for so tenacious a weed. In fact, its appearance is tolerable only when it's in bloom, and, when the growing season is over, it leaves behind a patch of dried canes (often 6 feet tall) that are a blemish on any landscape. This highly invasive plant spreads via rhizomes.

  How to control it: Knotweed requires a multi-pronged approach, such as constant mowing and herbicide application in spring or early summer and retreatment in early fall.

• 03 of 42

  Crabgrass (Digitaria)

  

  Crabgrass is so called because this grassy weed creeps along close to the ground, like a crab. In addition to mixing with lawn grass, it's often found growing in cracks in your hardscape. In doesn't appear until the weather gets hot.

  How to control it: Being an annual weed, crabgrass perpetuates itself via seed—millions of seeds. To control crabgrass, you'll need to address the issue in spring when the plant is most vulnerable.

  Use a pre-emergent herbicide to keep seeds from sprouting. To kill crabgrass, remove the plants by hand, roots, and all. If that doesn't work, use a post-emergent herbicide. Also, use an organic fertilizer to encourage the growth of lawn grass, which will crowd out the crabgrass.2

• 04 of 42

  Dandelions (Leontodon taraxacum)

  

  Dandelions are a harbinger of spring. Their bright yellow flowers often poke up through lawns and appear between cracks in driveways and sidewalks. While these perennial plants have multiple medicinal uses and can be eaten in salads or used to make wine, many homeowners would prefer eliminating dandelions.3

  How to control it: Keeping dandelion seeds from germinating won't be enough to eliminate the plants. You can use herbicide to eliminate your dandelions, but the most effective and least harmful approach is to dig the flowers up from the roots. Since the taproot is long, however, this can be difficult work.

• 05 of 42

  Plantain Plants (Plantago major)

  

  A relatively innocuous plant, common plantain can be mowed whenever you mow the lawn. It tolerates heavy foot traffic and compacted soil which means that it quickly colonizes in any lawn that sees a lot of hard family use.

  How to control it: Pull or dig up plantain weeds. Keep pulling them up before they can produce seeds. Eventually, the plant will give up. It may seem like a continuous process, but persistence is key.

• 06 of 42

  Common Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)

  

  Common ragweed is easily identified by its deeply dissected leaves. It may be an essential weed for you to identify, even if you don't care about keeping your yard weed-free for aesthetic reasons.

  If you're an allergy sufferer, common ragweed is a major source of sniffles.4

  How to control it: Ragweed can't tolerate constant mowing or rich soils. Maintain a healthy, mowed lawn in its place on a regular feeding schedule to keep ragweed at bay.

• 07 of 42

  Giant Ragweed (Ambrosia trifida)

  

• "Giant ragweed" is a summer weed named for its ability to grow up to 15 feet tall (making it easy to identify), with thick roots and branches. It's mainly a problem in the agricultural Midwest United States.

  Like its ragweed cousin (and unlike goldenrod), giant ragweed produces a great deal of pollen which causes severe allergies.5

  How to control it: Giant ragweed seeds can produce up to 5,000 seeds per plant, dispersing via the wind. Its seeds can also live 10 years in the soil. This plant is a crop killer.

  To keep it at bay, keep lawns healthy. Healthy grasses can keep giant ragweed from taking over. Tilling stands of seedlings can also disrupt their life cycle. If herbicide is necessary, employ a pre-emergent herbicide in the spring (Atrazine).

• 08 of 42

  Hedge Bindweed (Convolvus arvensis)

  

  Hedge bindweed has a reasonably attractive bloom, similar to the morning glory, which can be white or pink; it has a pleasant fragrance. But this is no innocuous weed. If you let hedge bindweed get out of control, this vine will soon entangle everything in your garden.

  How to control it: Effective control requires prevention of seed production, deep tillage of the root system, and pulling out plants. Also, apply herbicides or landscape fabric on top of it to smother it. It needs light to grow, although it can remain dormant for up to five years.6

• 09 of 42

  Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea)

  

  Ground ivy, a common lawn weed, goes by several names. For instance, it is also called "gill," "gill-over-the-ground," and "creeping charlie." Although considered a weed, ground ivy has a pretty flower, and when you mow this weed, it gives off a pleasing aroma. Ground ivy is also used as a medicinal herb.7

  How to control it: If you have a small area, dig and pull to remove this weed. It may be somewhat ineffective since stems or roots left behind can continue to grow and spread. Being persistent can lead to successful eradication. However, you can also rely on broadleaf herbicides applied in late September, then again a month later.

• 10 of 42

  Purslane (Portulaca olearacea)

  

  Purslane is a succulent in the Portulacaceae family with a crispy texture and interesting peppery flavor. It's also called pigweed, but it should not be confused with Amaranthus retroflexus, also called pigweed, which is an edible weed in the amaranth family.

  How to control it: Purslane can be controlled well by hand pulling if you do it when the plant is young and before it goes to seed. If it's seeded itself, you can also use post-emergent broadleaf herbicide on young plants to eradicate them.