How to Identify Weeds in Flower Beds

Weeds sprouting in a foundation garden.

Weeds are a bane to any gardener, cluttering up neat garden spaces with unattractive, unwanted foliage. In the spring and early summer weeds can be difficult to identify among newly sprouted plants.

Things You'll Need

• Camera
• Weed identification resource

Instructions

1. Examine the leaves on suspected weeds and compare to established plants within the same flower bed. If the leaf shape, size and color do not look similar to any purposefully planted flowers they are most likely weeds.

2. Take a photograph of the suspected weed. Compare the photo to a weed identification resource, such as a gardener’s manual or online library of weeds.

3. Allow questionable plants to continue growing for several weeks after sprouting and reexamine. Compare again to surrounding plants and pull the weed if it does not appear similar to purposefully planted specimens.

References

• Illinois Counsel on Food and Agriculture Research: Weed Identification
• Virginia Tech: Weed Identification Guide