College of Agriculture & Natural Resources

• Orange Hawkweed

  Orange hawkweed is a creeping perennial of low maintenance turf, roadsides and native areas. It can be an indicator of low soil fertility or slightly acidic soils. Hawkweed spreads by stolons and rhizomes creating colonies that form patches.

• Broadleaf Plantain

  Broadleaf plantain is probably the second most common broadleaf weed of turf after dandelion. It is extremely well adapted to most sites including dry or wet conditions, heavy soils and very low mowing heights.

• Heal All

  Heal All is a low growing, spreading, perennial of the mint family. It has very distinctive 'puckered' leaves with an opposite arrangement on square stems.

• Slime Mold

  Slime molds are non-pathogenic fungi that occasionally dwell on many different turfgrass species.

• White Clover

  White clover is one of the most common weeds of turfgrass. It is frequently included on lists of difficult-to-control weeds. White clover, as with all legumes, has the ability to survive under low soil nitrogen conditions. It can be identified by the three leaflets attached to one petiole.

• Crown Rot Anthracnose

  Anthracnose can occur as both a foliar infecting and crown infecting disease.

• Birdsfoot Trefoil

  Birdsfoot trefoil is a common perennial broadleaf plant in under-fertilized, minimal maintenance turfgrass sites. It is well distributed across Michigan and the Great Lakes Region.

• Buckhorn Plantain

  Buckhorn plantain is a narrow-leaved perennial that forms a rosette. The 3-10 inch long leaves are less than 1 inch wide and arise from a thick, shallow tap root. Buckhorn plantain is very common in maintained turf but will also survive in meadows and waste areas.

• Carolina Geranium

  Carolina geranium is an uncommon weed of low or no-maintenance areas such as fence rows. The leaf shape is very similar to common mallow, except that the leaves are more finely dissected. Pink, inconspicuous flowers are produced within the canopy. Plants typically do not persist after flowering.

• Field Bindweed

  Field bindweed is a common weed in subdivisions that were converted from agricultural land. Bindweed has an aggressive rhizomatous root system with trailing stems that spread quickly and can overtake mulched beds, bushes and fence rows. It is common to see bindweed smothering junipers and other bushes. The white and pink flowers are distinctly from the morningglory family. The veins are conspicuous on the arrowhead shaped leaves (sagitate or hastate).

• Orchardgrass

  Orchardgrass is a competitive perennial grassy weed of cool-season turf. It has a very well developed fibrous root system and can be difficult to remove once established.

• Smooth Crabgrass

  Smooth crabgrass is the most common summer annual grass problem in managed turf.

• Mouseear Chickweed

  Mouseear chickweed is a low-growing perennial that can tolerate extremely low mowing heights (even at greens height). It can tolerate a wide variety of soil and growing conditions. The leaves of mouseear chickweed are typically very thick, dark green and covered with hairs.

• Canada Thistle

  Canada thistle is a creeping perennial that always colonizes in patches. Plants can reach 1-3 feet high. Canada thistle has an extremely well developed creeping root system that can grow several feet deep.

• Common Milkweed

  Milkweed is easily identified by its upright growth habit and large (entire) leaves. All plant parts will exude a milky white latex when broken.

• Common Chickweed

  Primarily a winter annual, common chickweed is frequently found growing in the mulch skirts of shade trees. In general, common chickweed prefers shaded sites with moist soils. The vegetation forms mounds that are 3-7 inches tall. The delicate white-to-pink flowers appear early in the spring. Plants can persist in protected areas well after flowering.

• Creeping Speedwell

  Creeping speedwell is a low growing perennial that prefers shade, moist soils, good fertility and a low mowing height.

• Wild Strawberry

  Wild strawberry is a trifoliate (three leaflets) weed that spreads by aggressive stolons. The leaves and fruit of wild strawberry are smaller than that of its cultivated cousin. Wild strawberry is usually found in low maintenance areas and prefers well-drained soils.

• Yellow Patch

  Yellow patch, also known as cool season brown-patch, is a Rhizoctonia pathogen similar to that of brown patch.

• Common Purslane

  Common purslane is a mat-forming summer annual that thrives in all soil types. Common purslane has multi-branched red stems with thick fleshy leaves that cluster at the end of the branches.