Weeds compete with other plants in the garden for nutrients, water and light and can harbor diseases and pests. For this reason, gardeners invest a lot of time in combating them. Here are 30 of the most common weed species found in gardens andLawns occur. With the help of the pictures you can identify the weeds and choose effective control methods.
What exactly is weed?
Weeds can be any plant that grows where you don't want them, but there are some specific types of weeds to look out for. Thisaggressive plantssuffocate the garden plants you worked so hard to grow. Use this handy guide to identify weeds using pictures and know the best way to remove them.
Please note: Of the approximately 250,000 plant species worldwide, only about 3% behave like weeds, which we do not want in cultivated areas. “Weeds” are not inherently bad. Many weeds stabilize the soil and add organic matter. Some are edible to humans and also provide habitat and food for wildlife. Some weeds are also known as medicinal herbs.
Preventative measures to prevent weed growth
The bestWeed control strategyis always prevention. Before resorting to herbicides, you should first try non-chemical methods of weed control. Why? Herbicides may be a quick fix, but they won't prevent your weed problem from recurring year after year. Only through preventative measures can the growth of weeds be reduced in the future.
Never let them go to seed! This is the No. 1 rule when it comes to weeds. Some varieties produce tens of thousands of seeds from a single plant, multiplying your weed control problems for years to come. So be sure to remove weeds around your home before they bloom and produce seeds.
Löwenzahn (Taraxacum)
Typ: perennial herbaceous plant, deep-rooted
Growth size: up to 30 cm high, 15 – 40 cm wide
Where it grows:Lawns and gardens in sun or shade
Identifying features: This common lawn weed has a strong taproot and the leaves are deeply notched. The yellow flowers turn into dandelions - the fluffy balls that you blew as a child and made a wish. The dandelion seeds are like parachutes that fly in the wind.
flowering time: April – July
Tip for controlling weeds in the lawn: Mulch to prevent dandelions in the garden. Remove dandelion weeds from the soil with a hand shovel or use a post-emergent herbicide (for use on weeds after they emerge) in lawns.
Horn-Sauerklee (Oxalis corniculata)
Typ: annual to perennial herbaceous plant
Growth size: low growing, up to 20 cm
Where it grows:Sunny or shady landscape, lawn or garden areas
Identifying features: This garden weed has light green leaves that look like clover and produces cup-shaped yellow flowers in summer and fall.
flowering time: From May to October
combat: Mulch garden areas in spring to prevent weed growth. Scoop the wood sorrel out of the ground by hand or spray the weeds with a post-emergent herbicide in spring or fall.
Garden tip: The leaves of wood sorrel are edible in small quantities and have a sharp, tangy taste of lemon. However, the plants should not be eaten if they have been treated with pesticides. The plant can be harmful in large quantities.
Finger millet (Digitaria)
Typ: Grass-like, annual
Growth size: Up to 45 cm high and 50 cm wide
Where it grows:In gardens, on lawns, fields and between paving joints, in sun or shade
Appearance: Crabgrass is a grassy weed. This lawn weed forms roots wherever the stem comes into contact with the ground. The seed heads spread like fingers. The genus name comes from the Latin wordFinger= Finger.
flowering time: August – October
combat: Mulch your lawn to prevent crabgrass growth or use a pre-emergence herbicide. Pull the plants from the ground by hand or spot treat with a non-selective post-emergence herbicide.
Tipp: Each plant can produce up to 150,000 seeds, so this lawn weed can spread quickly.
Ackerwinde (Convolvulus arvensis)
Typ:twining, perennial, herbaceous plant
Growth size: 185 cm or more
Where it grows: in fields, paths, meadows and in garden areas in the sun
Appearance: You can identify this garden weed by its arrow-shaped leaves on twining vines. Bindweed also produces white to pale pink flowers that are reminiscent of morning glory (Ipomea).
combat: Mulch your garden to prevent weed growth. Always prune growing bindweed plants, pull the root system out of the soil, and/or treat with a post-emergence herbicide.
Garden tip: Migrating roots produce offspring at a distance of 6 to 10 meters from the mother plant.
White clover (Trifolium repens)
Typ: perennial herbaceous plant
Growth size: 5 – 20 cm high, 30 cm wide, roots up to 70 cm deep
Where it grows:in the lawn, in the garden, in fields, in sunny to partially shaded locations
Appearance: White clover has three green leaves and develops round white flowers in the inflorescence.
flowering time: From May to October
combat: Mulch your garden beds to prevent white clover from growing. Apply a post-emergence herbicide to the lawn or pull the weeds out of the ground by hand.
Garden tip: Clover adds nitrogen to the soil so it is moderately helpful. You can find out more about this in our article “Clover in the lawn – good or bad?" read.
Tigernut, Edible Cyprus Grass (Cyperus esculentus)
Typ: perennial herbaceous plant
Growth size: reaches heights of up to 60 cm
Where it grows:in lawns and garden areas, arable crops and nursery crops with moist soil in sun or shade
Appearance: The plant has grass-like leaves and nut-like tubers on the root system. In Switzerland, the plant is on the black list of invasive neophytes.
flowering time: July – September
combat: Mulch garden areas in spring to prevent the herbaceous plant from growing. Pull the plants out of the soil by hand or spray them with a post-emergence herbicide.
Gunderman (Glechoma hederacea)
Typ: wintergreen, perennial herbaceous plant, creeping weed
Growth size: 10 to 30 cm high, several meters wide, shallow roots
Where it grows: On shady lawns
Appearance: This lawn weed or ground cover can be recognized by its wavy leaves and purple flowers.
flowering time: April – July
Combat:The plant spreads by both seeds and creeping stems (called stolons). Mulch the garden in spring to prevent groundworm growth. In vegetable or flower gardens, pull plants from the ground by hand or spray them with a post-emergence herbicide in spring or fall. Try to pull the weed without tearing it up, because even a tiny piece can grow into a new plant!
Is Gundermann edible?Before the mass cultivation of hops, it was historically used to make beer. A member of the mint family, it has a slightly minty flavor and is often used by medicinal herbalists.
White goosefoot (Chenopodium album)
Typ: Annual broadleaf weed
Growth size: reaches a height of between 10 and 150 cm, becomes 45 cm wide, and roots up to 1 meter deep
Where it grows:Garden areas in sun or shade
Appearance: The wavy leaves of white goosefoot have gray undersides. In India the weed is used as a cooking vegetable.
Combat:Mulch your garden to prevent the growth of this weed. Remove the plant and its roots from the soil with a shovel or use a post-emergence herbicide.
Medium plantain (Plantago media)
Typ: annual to perennial herbaceous plant
Growth size: Up to 20 cm high and 30 cm wide
Where it grows: Damp lawns and garden areas in sun or shade
Appearance: You can recognize the plantain by its wide, flat leaves that grow around a rosette that lies close to the ground.
flowering time: from May to September
combat: Mulch to prevent plantain from growing in the garden. Pull these weeds by hand or use a post-emergence herbicide on lawns.
Garden tip: Each plantain plant can produce more than 15,000 seeds. The leaf juicehelps with itchy mosquito bites.
Purslane (Portulaca oleracea)
Typ: annual, herbaceous, succulent plant
Growth size: Up to 15 cm high and 60 cm wide
Where it grows: In dry, sunny locations; in gardens, in fields, on paths and in paving cracks. It rarely occurs in northern Germany.
Appearance: This weed ground cover can be recognized by its fleshy, dark green leaves and small yellow flowers at the ends of the stems.
flowering time: June to October
combat: Mulch your garden to prevent purslane growth or use a pre-emergence herbicide in spring. Pull the plants from the soil by hand or spot treat with a non-selective post-emergence herbicide.
Samtpappel (Abutilon theophrastus)
Typ: Broad-leaved annual weed
Growth size: Up to 2 meters high and 90 cm wide
Where it grows:On fertile, sunny fields and in vegetable gardens
Appearance: The velvet poplar gets its name from its large, velvety, heart-shaped leaves, which grow up to 25 cm. The weed blooms with yellow flowers in summer.
combat: Mulch your garden to discourage its growth or use a pre-emergence herbicide in the spring. You can pull the plants out of the ground by hand.
Fragrant violet, March violet (Viola odorata)
Typ: rhizomatous, perennial herbaceous plant
Growth size: 5 to 15 cm high, 15 cm wide
Where it grows: Shady lawn, field or garden areas
Appearance: The wild violet is a ground cover with heart-shaped leaves and purple flowers in late spring.
flowering time: from March to April, occasionally in October and November
combat: Mulch garden beds in spring to prevent weed growth. Pull the weeds by hand or spray with a post-emergent herbicide in the spring or fall.
Garden tip:Not always considered a weed, this plant is sometimes used as an ornamental in shady gardens andunder treescultivated.
Kleinblütiges Knopfkraut (Galinsoga parviflora)
Typ: Annual broadleaf weed
Height of growth: Up to 60 cm
Where it grows:Sunny landscape and garden areas
Appearance: The small-flowered buttonwort has jagged, hairy leaves and produces small white, daisy-shaped flowers in summer.
combat: Use a layer of mulch or a pre-emergence herbicide in spring to prevent weed growth. Weed the plants by hand or spot treat with a post-emergence herbicide.
Acker-Kratzdistel (Cirsium arvense)
Typ: Perennial herbaceous plant
Growth size: Up to 185 cm high and 90 cm wide
Where it grows:Sunny lawns, fields or garden areas
Appearance: Thistle has spiny, grey-green leaves and purple flowers.
combat: Mulch your garden to prevent their growth. Use a post-emergence herbicide in lawns in spring or fall or dig up the weeds and their roots with a hand shovel.
Garden tip: The thistle has an extensive root system that can grow several meters from the main plant.
Amaranth (Amaranthus retroflexus)
Typ: Broad-leaved annual plant
Growth size: 185 cm high, 60 cm wide
Where it grows: In fields and in sunny garden areas; well-known weed in all summer crops
Appearance: Amaranth is a tall plant with a taproot. The cotyledons are elongated with a rounded tip and a reddish base. You can recognize the weed by its hairy-looking green flower clusters.
combat: Mulch garden areas in spring to prevent weed growth or use a pre-emergence herbicide in spring. It is best to pull the weeds by hand. Control with foliar herbicides is only successful on small plants.
Bird Knöterich (Polygonum aviculare)
Art: Annual weed
Growth size: 10 to 40 cm high
Where it grows:especially on paths, rubble, ditches, gravel areas, tread areas, fields, on dry ground in the sun
Appearance: Bird knotweed is an invasive ground cover with elliptical, blue-green leaves that appear sparsely on long stems.
flowering time: from May to October
combat: Prevent knotweed with a deep layer of mulch or apply a pre-emergence herbicide in spring. Once the plant has grown, remove it from the soil with a hand shovel or spot treat with a herbicide.
Garden tip: The weed is a common carrier of theparasitic pathogen powdery mildew, which can give the leaves a whitish appearance.
Black nightshade (Solanum nigrum)
Typ: Annual, herbaceous plant
Growth size: up to 60 cm high, 60 cm wide
Where it grows:in fields and gardens with rich soil in the sun or shade; The weed develops and reproduces particularly well in crops such as corn, peas, potatoes and sugar beets.
Appearance: Black nightshade can be a bushy or climbing plant with white or purple flowers and dark purple or red berries.
flowering time: from June to October
combat: To remove the black nightshade from the garden, you can pull up the plants before they bloom or mow them down. You should then regularly check whether young plants are growing back.
Garden tip: All parts of this plant are poisonous, especially the unripe fruits.
Hopfenklee (Medicago lupulina)
Typ: green, annual or short-lived perennial herbaceous plant
Height of growth: from 10 to 60 cm
Where it grows:in poor, dry soil in full sun
Appearance: You can recognize this garden weed by its clover-like leaves and small, yellow flowers.
flowering time: from May to October
combat: Pull weeds by hand or use a post-emergence herbicide. Keep the soil well watered and enriched with organic material (such as compost).
Quince (Elymus repens), creeping quince
Typ: Grass-like weed, perennial plant with creeping runners
Height of growth: from 50 to 120 cm
Where it grows:in fields and gardens; in the sun or in the shade
Appearance: This garden weed has wheat-like flower spikes that appear above low tufts of grass-like foliage.
flowering time: from June to August; only blooms in the second year
combat: Dig up the plants by hand, removing every bit of root.
Ampfer (Rumex)
Typ: Broad-leaved perennial
Growth size: Up to 120 cm high and 60 cm wide
Where it grows: Landscape and garden areas in the sun or shade
Appearance: Dock produces large, wavy leaves and large seed heads covered in brown seeds.
combat: Pull up and dig up plants. To combat this, a dock fork can be useful so that you can completely cut out the dock's rhizome. In Switzerland it is also called Blackeneisen. It is important to also remove any remaining root residues.
Tipp: Each plant can produce up to 40,000 seeds, which wait decades before germinating.
Lamium amplexicaule (Lamium amplexicaule)
Typ: annual herbaceous plant
Height of growth: from 10 to 30 cm
Where it grows: on lawns, in gardens and in fields; in the sun as well as in the shade
Appearance: This lawn weed is a low, creeping plant with cup-shaped leaves and purple flowers.
combat: Mulch the soil or use a pre-emergence herbicide in spring. Weed plants by hand or treat lawns with a post-emergence foliar herbicide.
Annual fleabane (Erigeron annuus), fine spray
Typ: annual or biennial weed
Growth size: up to 60 cm high and 45 cm wide; Roots up to 1 meter deep into the ground
Where it grows:in landscape and garden areas; in the sun or partial shade
Appearance: White fleabane has simple, serrated to smooth leaves that hang from an upright, branched stem. It produces white to lavender flower heads that resemble daisies.
flowering time: From June to October
combat: Before the seeds ripen, you should carefully remove the individual plants several times from May to October. Deep mowing in June prevents the plant from spreading further. A second cut is also recommended in August.
Brennessel (Nursing Nettle)
Typ: annual or perennial herbaceous plant, rarely also as a subshrub
Height of growth: from 10 to 300 centimeters
Where it grows:in garden areas with rich, moist soil
Appearance: This garden weed has sawtooth-shaped leaves and yellowish flower spikes covered in stinging hairs.
combat: Mulch to prevent nettle growth. Weeds that are already growing should be dug up or treated with a post-emergence herbicide.
Garden tip: Always wear gloves when working near this plant (the sharp hairs can irritate the skin).
Spotted spurge (Euphorbia maculata)
Typ: Annual, shallow-rooted, creeping
Height of growth: from 2 to 8 cm
Where it grows:on paths and in paving joints, e.g. B. on sidewalks; thermophilic; prefers dry, warm sandy soil
Appearance: The green or purple colored leaves form dense mats.
combat: Dig up the weeds and their roots while they are young or treat them directly with a weed killer.
Vogelmiere (Stellaria media)
Typ: annual herbaceous plant
Growth size: 15 cm high, 30 cm wide
Where it grows: in lawns, gardens and landscape areas with rich, moist soil; thrives in the sun as well as in the shade
Appearance: This garden and lawn weed forms lush green mats studded with small, star-shaped flowers.
combat: Mulch the soil to prevent weed growth in the garden or use a pre-emergence herbicide in early spring. Pull out weeds by hand.
Garden tip: Each plant can produce more than 15,000 seeds.
Nickende Distel (Nodding Thistle)
Typ: branched, biennial plant
Growth size: Up to 185 cm high and 45 cm wide
Where it grows:Landscape and garden areas in full sun
Appearance: Nodding thistle has spiny leaves that grow on tall stems and are topped with heavy purple flowers.
combat: Use a post-emergence herbicide or dig up the weeds yourself.
Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)
Typ: annual herbaceous plant, invasive neophyte
Growth size: 20 to 150 cm high and 60 cm wide
Where it grows: Gardens, fields and on disturbed soils, e.g. on roadsides, in gravel pits and on construction sites; in the sun and in partial shade
Appearance: Ambrosia has finely cut green leaves that are almost fern-like.
flowering time: From July to October. Ragweed pollen is one of the worst allergy triggers. The small, yellow flowers of a plant contain up to a billion pollen grains.
combat: If there is enough light, germination occurs from mid-April. The control should take place before flowering begins. You should pull out the plant including the roots. Be sure to wear a dust mask when plants are in bloom.
Yellow sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis)
Art: Biennial to perennial herbaceous plant
Growth size: 30 to 90 cm high, 30 – 45 cm wide
Where it grows:in sunny locations, on paths, in railway areas, on banks
Appearance: You can recognize this garden weed by its upright and branched stems, clover-like leaves and fragrant yellow flowers.
flowering time: From June to September
combat: In general, weed control is unnecessary because sweet clover suppresses weeds very well. Pull the plants out by hand.
Great goat's beard (Tragopogon dubius)
Typ: one- to two-year-old herbaceous plant
Growth size: Up to 90 cm high and 60 cm wide
Where it grows:on dry grassland, railway land, fields; Lime and heat loving
Appearance: You can recognize the large goat's beard by its gray-green leaves. The yellow flowers open at eight in the morning and close again at midday. After flowering, large puffballs form.
flowering time: From May to July
Combat:Fighting is usually not necessary.
Stachel-Lattich (Lactuca serriola)
Typ: annual overwintering to biennial plant
Height of growth: 30 to 120 cm, develops roots up to 2 meters deep
Where it grows: in sunny locations, especially on roadsides, rubble sites, in railway systems, on walls, dams and in hedges
Appearance: Recognize the prickly lettuce by its gray-green, coarsely toothed leaves and yellow flowers. As soon as the plant flowers, tapered seed heads with flying umbrellas form. The seeds are spread by the wind as paragliders.
flowering time: From July to September
combat: While the plant is still forming flat rosettes in early May and June, you should dig it up including the root system.
