Some Common Garden Weeds
| This list of names can be endless. Over the course of a growing season, one can easily encounter over 20 species of garden weeds. These are annuals or biennials which take to disturbed soil. In addition, mulch, which has its origin from wood, contain seeds which then germinate once the mulch is spread. The table below lists, for now, the spring weeds found in the garden which I then can teach to my students. |
|
Common name |
Scientific Name and Family Name |
Comments |
| Henbit | Lamium amplexicaule (Lamiaceae) | Sessile leaves; bilabiate corolla, square stem. Common weed of gardens prior to plowing. |
| Chickweed | Stellaria media (Caryophyllaceae) | Five small white petals so deeply notched you think you see ten of them. |
| Mouse-eared chickweed | Cerastium vulgatum (Caryophyllaceae) | Flowers are like Stellaria, but the leaves are highly pubescent. |
| Wood sorrel | Oxalix stricta (Oxalidaceae) | Three obcordate leaflets with a small five-parted yellow flower. A common weed of greenhouses |
| Alleghany buttercup | Ranunculus alleghaniensis (Ranunculaceae) | Five very small yellow petals with numerous pistils |
| Indian Strawberry | Duchesnia indica (Rosaceae) | Five yellow petals with a trifoliate compound leaf |
| Dandelion | Taraxacum officinale (Asteraceae) | This species keeps the stock of Ortho and Scott's products high. |
| field pansy | Viola rafinesquii (Violaceae) | This comes in many colors and I don't weed them out:) |
| hairy bittercress | Cardamine hirsuta (Brassicaceae) | Four small white petals and a long slender fruit |