Common Weeds

If you’re aiming for that perfect lawn look, dandelions may throw a wrench in your hopes and dreams.

Whatever your perspective, weeds are an indicator species, and dandelions thrive in yards with the following conditions: low pH, compacted soil, high potassium, and low calcium. Yep, a weed can tell you all of that. So, after you hand-pull the dandelion, get a soil test, pull out the aerator, and prepare for summer lawn domination.

Source:  Lawn Love

White clover is a common lawn weed with white flowers and three-leaved stems. 

White clover (Trifolium repens) is a creeping perennial.  It is a common plant in many Iowa lawns because it is a prolific seed producer and adapts well to mowing and other lawn care practices.  Its presence is often a sign of low nitrogen fertility.  

Source:  Iowa State University

Broadleaf plantain is fairly easy to recognize in your lawn. Its broad green leaves form a basal rosette (low-growing circular leaves), and its flowering stalks appear from mid-spring through early fall. This perennial loses its leaves in the winter and re-grows again in spring. 

This weed comes in second only to dandelions in terms of its prevalence in North America. If you have compacted or infertile soil, you’re likely to find this weed.

Source:  Lawn Love

Prostrate spurge is a summer annual broadleaf weed that spreads by seed. Spurge is low growing. The leaves are oval in shape, small, and opposite along the stem. There is usually a red spot in the center. 

Source:  University of Maryland

Spurge is commonly found in landscape areas and around sidewalks.

Ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea), also known as creeping charlie, is a common weed in many lawns.  Ground ivy is a low-growing, creeping, invasive perennial.  It spreads by seed and the vining stems (stolons) which root at their nodes.  The leaves of ground ivy are round or kidney-shaped with scalloped margins.  Stems are four-sided.  Flowers are small, bluish purple, and funnel-shaped.  Ground ivy thrives in damp, shady areas, but also grows well in sunny locations.  A member of the mint family, ground ivy produces a minty odor when cut or crushed. 

Source:  Iowa State University

Common knotweed (prostrate knotweed) is a short-lived perennial broadleaf plant.  Typical habitat of prostrate knotweed - compacted soils. Plants have prostrate, wiry stems with small, eliptic leaves.

Source:  Iowa State University

Knotweed is commonly found in landscape areas and around sidewalks.

Dallisgrass is a perennial grass and grows in spreading clumps. It has a coarse texture. Leaf blades are a yellow-green color, about ½-inch wide, and have a prominent mid-rib.  

Source:  University of Maryland

Dallisgrass is a durable perennial that spreads and thrives in most any conditions. Once established in your lawn, seeds will be abundant in the soil and any open areas of the turf will be invaded. 

Source:  TrueGreen

Wild violet is usually found in clumps.  Leaves are heart-shaped with dentate margins.  Flowers are usually blue or purple, but white biotypes can be found.

General description: Leaves emerge from a basal crown, up to 4.5 in long and 3.5 in wide with petioles.  Leaf shape variable, ranging from heart to egg-shaped; rounded teeth on margins, hairless. Flowers are blue to purple with 5 showy petals. Rhizomes are short, thick and branched. 

Source:  ISU Extension