21 Common Name of Weeds: The Complete List (with Pictures)

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As a keen gardener that you are, you'd know what weeds can do to your plants, so I needn't remind you. You must also know that no matter the plant type you grow or the planting process you adopt, you'd still encounter these noxious, overambitious plants.

And, this is why there's a need for you to arm yourself with the most necessary information to fiercely combat any weed invasion in your garden, farm, or pavements.

But, what kind of information could this be? (I'm sure you'd like to know!). For a start, you have to get yourself accustomed to the commonest name of weeds you can find in any garden. Among the common names, which you most probably might have heard before, are purslane, clover, chickweed, and pigweed.

In the remainder of this article, we'd cover more on these and eighteen other common name of weeds you can find in any garden.

Let’s begin:


What Are The 21 Common Name of Weeds You Can Find in Your Garden?

Many gardeners don't know these, but different types of invasive weeds can irreparably damage your beautiful plants.

These invasive beasts we all call "weeds" would always try to find their way into our farms. That's why you must get to know their names as well as their botanical names. This would make it easier for you to identify the weeds, and, most importantly, stem them out from your garden at once.

Without further ado, here are 21 name of weeds with pictures to help you with identifying them when the time comes.


Common Name of Weeds & Their Botanical Names

1. Bermuda Grass (Cynodon dactylon)

Bermuda grass

Bermuda grass, botanically known as Cynodon dactylon, is one of the most aggressive weeds you can find in any garden. 

What makes Bermuda grass so stubborn is its deep root system. Their roots can grow as deep as 2 meters.

They also grow so fast, large, and thick. As such, they can easily form stifling canopies over your plants and even choke out other weed types that you may have in your garden if no care is taken to control their hurried growth.


2. Bitter Dock (Rumex obtusifolius)

Name of weeds 101 - Bitter Dock - Rumex obtusifolius

Bitter Dock (Rumex obtusifolius) is a perennial plant known by most cultivators for its abundant seed dispersal ability.

Like the Bermuda grass, Bitter Dock reproduces aggressively. They also grow strong roots and have the power to withstand any kind of condition—even the harshest climate.


3. Black Nightshade (Solanum nigrum)

black nightshade

Black Nightshade, or Solanum nigrum, is described by Agriculture and Natural Resources, the University of California as one of the most problematic of the nightshade plant family.

Aside from the fact that they are deadly weeds, they also like to harbor dangerous pests and diseases that can spread quickly and damage your whole garden in less than the time you can say, “Jack Robinson.”

Another unpleasant fact about this weed type is its ability to develop strong resistance to herbicides. This makes it difficult to eradicate them and you would have to be able to detect them early before they get the chance to fester beyond control.


4. Chickweed (Stellaria media)

Stellaria media - Common Chickweed

This plant is another common yard name on our list. Stellaria media is particularly common in the United States and can be found in lawns or any land with moist soil.

Unlike the plants we’ve mentioned, this plant has soft, stringy roots that can grow up to about 1ft in the soil. But, don’t be deceived, they are just as dangerous as any other weed you can find in your garden.


5. Common Daisy (Bellis perennis L.)

common daisies

Don’t let the beautiful name fool you, this weed can be as dangerous as any other weed type you might have come by or would soon come across.

English daisy has been described in an article by PennState Extension as one of the most attractive weed plants you can find anywhere. This means detecting them can be a bit of a problem, especially for newbies.

One unique feature of the common daisy is the spoon-like leaves it has. These leaves have a rounded edge at the top and slightly jagged edges at the side. Accentuating the beauty of these plants are their white petals with yellow blooms sitting in their center.


6. Common Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris)

Name of weeds - Common Groundsel

Groundsel, Senecio vulgaris, or old-man-in-the-spring is another common weed name.

The leaves of this plant are usually succulent and are either smooth or hairy. These leaves have no stalks holding them to the stem which means they are attached directly to the stem.


7. Common Self-heal (Prunella vulgaris L.)

Common self heal - Prunella vulgaris

Common Self-heal (Prunella vulgaris L.) is a weed type that’s famous for its medicinal attributes. They’re edible and can be eaten as foods in salads or drunk as teas.

But, for the most part, this plant is a weed. They grow freely and can hinder the growth of your plants if you leave them unattended.

Self-heals have square stems with oval, hairless leaves. They also occasionally produce purplish flowers between the start of fall in June to the start of winter in November.


8. Clover (Trifolium repens)

clover weed

Clover or Trefoil is another common weed plant you might have come across before. They have shallow roots and are not exactly dangerous when allowed to grow in small quantities.

However, when allowed to spread far and wide, in your garden, they become co-thrivers with your plants and compete with them for nutrients.


9. Crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis)

crabgrass

(Digitaria sanguinalis) is an annual plant with tiny, long leaves.

It can grow wild if left to fester because of their sneaky growth.

They can produce up to 80,000 seeds and can get your plants fighting for nutrients and breathing space when they grow way beyond control.

When they grow wild, they can become difficult to eradicate from your farms especially in hot temperatures.


10. Creeping Buttercup (Ranunculus repens)

Name of weeds 101 - Creeping Buttercup

Ranunculus repens or Creeping Buttercup is another common weed found in gardens. As its name suggests, Creeping Buttercup "creeps" but can crowd out other plants if left to thrive.

It was first introduced in the US and Europe as an ornamental but has now grown to become an invasive plant.


11. Curly Dock (Rumex Crispus)

Curly Dock - Rumex crispus

Another common weed name we mustn't fail to mention is Rumex Crispus (more popularly known as Curly Dock). This is another perennial weed you'd easily want to leave out when weeding out unwanted plants from your garden.

The name "curly" came from its wavy leaf edges. What is interesting (yet annoying) about this weed is that they do not exactly try to take over like other plants, but they do seem to establish their presence no matter whatever you do to stem them out.

Once they appear in your garden, completely eradicating them may prove somewhat difficult.


12. Doveweed (Murdannia nudiflora)

Name of weeds 101 - Doveweed

There are many weeds we can describe as attractive or beguiling—Common Daisy comes to mind. However, Doveweed (or Murdannia nudiflora, as it is scientifically called) doesn't exactly classify as such.

It's about 80% likely you'd easily identify and stump them out on first sighting. Its elongated, grass-like foliage should give it up.


13. Flatweed (Hypochaeris radicata)

Flatweed - Hypochaeris radicata plant

Flatweed (Hypochaeris radicata) looks exactly as its name implies.

It grows flat leaves with jagged edges and florets that'd make you mistake it for a dandelion. This is why it's also called "false dandelion."

What makes Flatweed different from dandelion is its multiple flowered branches that could grow up 45cm to 50cm tall.

Flatweed can be found in any type of soil, although they don't particularly do well in wetlands. They also produce a lot of seeds and can reproduce quickly.

It only takes the plant's seeds about 2 months to mature. So, you can see how speedy their reproduction process can be if you don't remove them from your garden?!


14. Field Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis)

field bindweed

Convolvulus arvensis, is another beguiling weed that has made it to our list. 

Its purplish-white flowers may blow your mind, but if you don't do anything about this plant early enough, they can become more-than-difficult for you to eradicate them from your garden.

Field Bindweed has an extensive root system that makes it easy for them to spread quickly and take up your plants' territory.

They can thrive under any condition, even in the drought, but can become less competitive under slightly unpleasant situations.


15. Ground Elder (Aegopodium podagraria)

Name of weeds 101 - Ground elder weed

Botanically known as Aegopodium podagraria, Ground Elder was first introduced as an ornamental plant from Asia and Europe but has since become a toxic weed that has even been banned in some states in the US (like Connecticut, Wisconsin, Massachusetts & Vermont).

Although edible, Ground Elder can grow extremely wild without any control in place.

They're highly competitive and love to grow under shades. So, if you grow tall plants, you'd want to make sure these stubborn plants aren't growing underneath and fighting with your plants.


16. Herb Bennet (Geum urbanum)

herb bennet weed

This weed is more than just a weed according to folklore. It's said to repel evil spirits and protect humans from dangerous animals like snakes and rabid dogs.

The plant's leaves (which are 3) are said to reflect the Holy Trinity and its five petals are said to represent the 5 wounds of Jesus Christ.

In herbal medicine, this weed has been said to treat multiple illnesses although no there's no medical confirmation of this claim.

However, in your garden, this beguiling plant can be your sworn enemy.


17. Marestail (Conyza canadensis)

marestail

Marestail, also called horseweed (and scientifically, Conyza canadensis), is another common name in the United States, particularly because of Its tolerance rate when many farmers widely adopted Roundup Ready® crops. These are genetically grown seeds aimed at controlling different weed types, particularly annual and perennial ones.

The Marestail came from the way the plant looks. The plant has a single tall stem with unbranched tail-like leaves.


18. Purslane (Portulaca oleracea)

common purslane

You can see this plant as a zombie that'd never die. Once they're able to successfully dominate an area, stemming them out of your garden may prove slightly difficult.

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) grows close to the ground, with pinkish stems and tiny leaves that look like a spatula.

They also grow tiny star-shaped yellow flowers.


19. Pigweed (Amaranthus spp.)

Name of Weeds - Amaranthus Pigweed

Pigweed (Amaranthus) is a common name for a collection of weeds that are mostly found around vegetables and other row crops. They look like vegetables but on deeper inspection, you’d notice their bushy features and dense flower clusters.

Like many weeds, they grow by seeds, can thrive in hot weather, and can compete aggressively with your plants.


20. Spotted Spurge (Euphorbia maculata)

Name of weeds - Euphorbia maculata - spotted spurge

Image Source: plantsam.com

Spurge (Euphorbia maculata) is a common name given to a family of weeds. These weed types are usually tiny and look unharmful. But, with their rapid seed production rate, which is one of the reasons it can be rather difficult to rid off one's garden, they can overtake your plants.

Killing them is an easy sport. What you might however experience difficulty with is keeping them away for good. They'd keep coming back and back until you can devise a definite control measure to remove them completely from your farm.


21. Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)

stinging nettle

The last on our list is the Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica). Don't let the name scare you. They're not exactly that dangerous. They have medicinal benefits and can be used in treating certain conditions like diabetes, hay fever, kidney stones, osteoarthritis, etc.

One reason this weed is referred to as "stinging nettle" is its intense defense system.  Unlike many of the weeds we have mentioned today, the stinging nettle can defend itself with its hairs (or spicules). These hairs are like sharp glass; they can easily cut through one's skin.


22. Puncturevine/Goathead Weed (Tribulus terrestris)

Goat head weed - flower , leaves and burr

Botanically known as Tribulus terrestris or commonly as puncturevine, the goat head weed is a summer annual native to Southern Europe and can grow under a wide range of conditions.

You’ll often find it growing in hot and dry areas such as roadsides, turf, driveways, gardens, pastures, and orchards.


Conclusion

We couldn't mention them all. But now, we're certain you already know 22 names of common weeds and can always try to identify them in your garden.

Getting yourself accustomed to these names will help you better to know the kinds of weeds you can find with your plants, and how you can identify some of these weeds if not all.

This way, you can devise highly effective ways of eradicating them from your garden.

3 thoughts on “21 Common Name of Weeds: The Complete List (with Pictures)”

  1. I’m trying to find the real name that my dad in eastern Washington called tarweed? It is a short fuzzy gray and itches like hell.

  2. what I’ve always been told in eastern Wa. in and around dry land wheat is a small(6 or 8 inches grey fuzzy, itchyand sticky weed called tarweed, please tell me ?

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