How to Identify the Weeds on My Lawn

One weed can make many more.

Whether you live in the northern or southern United States, there are weeds in the lawn---and many of them are the same kinds of weeds. Crowding out the cultivated grass of choice, weeds continue to thrive. Identification of weeds is interesting, but it is also a useful project. Most of the lawn-care products have a plant list of affected weeds, but many homeowners do not know the names of the pesky weeds crowding the grass. Identify the weeds and get rid of them.

Instructions

1. Pull samples of the weeds when you are ready to research the names. Place them in plastic bags so you can see them without getting soil and residue in the work area.

2. Look for plant and weed identification information on the LawnWeeds website that has a weed directory with pictures and common names of lawn weeds you may encounter. Check into the American-Lawns website for weed identification. The photos and line drawings are not as large as some other sites, but the information in the articles is comprehensive. They also provide a section on lawn care by region with a breakdown by state.

3. Use university websites for weed identification. University of Missouri has a weed science program, listing lawn and turf-grass weeds by common name, scientific name and photographs online. University of Illinois Extension has a Lawn Talk website that discusses weeds. These articles, written for Northern Illinois, provide weed pictures and information helpful in most areas of the United States. Virginia Tech and Virginia Cooperative Extension run a website with an interactive weed identification key. Texas A & M University Soil and Crop Sciences has an Aggie Turf site with detailed information for Texas lawns. The University of Minnesota Extension Service has pictures of weed seedlings.

4. Check the Better Homes and Gardens slideshow of weeds. Identification of the common weeds found in lawns is available with the slides.

References

• American-Lawns: Problem Lawn Areas: Types of Weeds
• Lawn Weeds: Identifying Weeds
• Better Homes and Gardens: Bugs Diseases and Weeds: Weed Identification Guide
• American Lawns: Lawncare by States

Resources

• Texas A&M University: Aggieturf: Weed Control in Turf
• University of Illinois Extension: Lawn Talk: Perennial Grassy Weeds in Lawns
• University of Missouri: Weed Science Program: Weed ID: Lawn and Turfgrass Weeds
• Virginia Tech: Weed Identification Guide
• University of Minnesota Extension: Minnesota Weed Seedling Photo Collection