Common Weeds in Gardens

Weeds are an inevitable part of any kind of gardening. This Grow Native! common weeds resource was created to help you identify plants—especially very young plants—you may or may not want in your native gardens or plantings. 

But first, what is a weed? A simple definition is that a weed is a plant that is growing where it is not desired. Some are weeds are highly invasive, including Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana) and bush honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii and other non-native, shrub honeysuckles), which may be readily identifiable as mature plants, but may not be as seedlings. Grow Native! urges homeowners to treat or remove invasive plants. Controlling them when they are small prevents them from spreading, flowering, setting seed, and thus spreading and becoming more of a problem.

Other weeds are very common, naturalized, non-native plants like dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) and white clover (Trifolium repens). You may or may not find these plants desirable in a lawn, but you may want to control them in other areas. Some can outcompete natives. 

Still others are native plants that may volunteer in your beds or plantings, such as spring avens (Geum vernum) and common violet (Viola sororia). You may want to remove them, or, you may find them to be attractive, desirable additions to your gardens and plantings. Many of these native volunteer plants offer benefits. For example, they may help “fill in” garden beds, help prevent erosion, and serve as host plants for specific native insects.

Preventing Weeds

Native plants establish best without competition from other plants, like turf grass. (For more on establishment of natives, see the Grow Native! Native Gardening Overview). In the spring, monitor your garden or native planting to survey what is beginning to grow. You may see native perennials re-emerging, native seedlings from established parent plants, or the first seedlings that have developed from a planting you established from seed. You will also likely see plants you were not expecting!

Being able to identify seedlings of desirable native plants is very helpful. This Grow Native! native seedling guide provides photos and information on 37 commonly planted native species. It is also useful to know what seedlings of undesirable plants look like, to help you in your weeding. Further information on managing invasive plants can be found through the Missouri Invasive Plant Council webpage, moinvasives.org. 

The plants featured here include seedlings of 1. highly invasive plants; 2. naturalized, non-native plants; and 3. some native plants that may or may not be desirable in native gardens or plantings. Further information can be found by clicking on each photo. 

Weed ID Guide