Help with Weed Identification
Is it a flower or a weed? Do I keep it or pull it? These are common questions I hear from gardeners. Fortunately, there are some tools to help with their identification.
Start with a visit to the library and check out a few weed ID books to see which ones work best for you. Here are a few of my favorites. The National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Wildflowers of North America by David Brandenburg includes images and help with weed identification. Cornell University’s Weeds of the Northeast includes a key for identification and excellent images of the weeds from seed through flowering. It also includes many weeds found throughout the US not just the northeast.
Or check out some of the on-line resources. Start with University Weed Identification sites such as those at Michigan State University, The University of Missouri and New Mexico State University.
A bit more information: You may need to let mystery plants grow and flower to be able to identify the plant. Then you can decide whether it stays or goes. Just be sure to pull it before it sets seed if you decide to remove it from the garden. Otherwise you will have hundreds more to manage next year.
Related
Article
Article
Article
Article
Categories
Upcoming Live Events
& Webinars
Jan. 18, 2025
Garden Visions
Wausau, WI and Virtual
Feb. 7-9, 2025
PBS Wisconsin's
Garden & Green Living Expo
Madison, WI
Feb. 12, 2025
FREE WEBINAR:
Organic Insect Pest Management for Vegetable and Flower Gardens
Register here
Feb. 14-16, 2025
NARI Milwaukee Spring Home Improvement Show
West Allis, WI
Feb. 19, 2025
FREE WEBINAR:
Strategies for Managing Invasive Plants
Register here
Feb. 26, 2025
FREE WEBINAR:
Create a Beautiful Shade Garden
Register here
March 19, 2025
FREE WEBINAR:
Be a Waterwise Gardener
Register here
March 26, 2025
FREE WEBINAR:
Succession Planting & Crop Rotation
Register here
WATCH ON-DEMAND WEBINARS
Learn More