Dandelion
Taraxacum officinale
Edible
Perennial broadleafYear-round
How to spot it
- Rosette of jagged, backward-pointing leaves flat to the ground
- Single hollow stem with milky sap, one yellow flower per stem
- Fluffy white seed globe
Edible parts: Young leaves (bitter when older), flowers, roasted root
Spreads by: Wind-blown seed and a deep taproot that regrows from fragments
Getting rid of it
- Water first, then use a dandelion fork or hori-hori to lift the whole taproot
- Any root piece left below 2 in will resprout — check back in 3 weeks
- Behead flowers immediately if you can't dig; that stops the seed
Common mistake: Mowing or snapping the top off. It regrows stronger and multi-crowned.
Worst in: Lawn edges and path cracks
Field bindweed
Convolvulus arvensis
Toxic
Woody vineWarm season
How to spot it
- Twining vine with arrowhead leaves
- White or pink trumpet flowers about 1 in across
- Wraps counterclockwise up anything vertical
Spreads by: Rhizomes 10+ ft deep plus seed that stays viable for decades
Getting rid of it
- Do not till — every fragment becomes a new plant
- Cut at soil level every 2–3 weeks for a full season to starve the roots
- Tarp or sheet mulch the area for 6+ months where you can
- Unwind vines off crops by hand rather than yanking
Common mistake: Rototilling a bindweed patch. You'll multiply it tenfold.
Look-alike: Wild morning glory (larger flower, heart-shaped leaves)
Worst in: Perennial beds, fence lines, anywhere established
Purslane
Portulaca oleracea
Edible
Annual broadleafWarm season
How to spot it
- Fat, glossy paddle-shaped succulent leaves
- Reddish, smooth, prostrate stems forming a mat
- Tiny yellow flowers that open in morning sun
Edible parts: Whole plant — lemony, crunchy, high in omega-3s
Spreads by: Seed (up to 200,000 per plant) and stem fragments that reroot
Getting rid of it
- Pull whole and remove from the bed; pieces left on soil reroot
- Hoe on a hot dry day and rake the debris off
- Mulch bare soil — it needs sun on the surface to germinate
Common mistake: Hoeing it and leaving the pieces lying there. Every joint roots again.
Look-alike: Spurge — snap a stem: spurge bleeds white sap and is not edible.
Worst in: Hot open beds and gravel
Spotted spurge
Euphorbia maculata
Toxic
Annual broadleafWarm season
How to spot it
- Flat mat with small oval leaves, often with a purple blotch
- Stems bleed milky white sap when snapped
- Hairy stems, unlike purslane
Spreads by: Seed, germinating all summer in hot soil
Getting rid of it
- Pull young — the taproot is easy before it mats
- Mulch heavily; it needs light and heat at the surface
- Wear gloves, the sap irritates skin and eyes
Common mistake: Confusing it with purslane and eating it.
Look-alike: Purslane (fleshy, no milky sap, edible)
Worst in: Paths, driveway cracks, dry bed edges
Common chickweed
Stellaria media
Edible
Annual broadleafCool season
How to spot it
- Low mat of small teardrop leaves
- Single line of fine hairs running up one side of the stem
- Tiny white star flowers with 5 deeply split petals (looks like 10)
Edible parts: Whole young plant — mild, like corn silk, good raw in salads
Spreads by: Seed and rooting at stem nodes
Getting rid of it
- Rake or hoe up mats in early spring while shallow-rooted
- Easy hand-pull after rain, comes up in sheets
- Pull before the tiny flowers appear — it seeds in about 5 weeks
Common mistake: Ignoring it in winter. It seeds while you aren't gardening.
Look-alike: Scarlet pimpernel (orange flowers, square stem) — not edible.
Worst in: Cool moist spring and fall beds
Crabgrass
Digitaria sanguinalis
Not edible
Annual grassWarm season
How to spot it
- Low, wide-spreading clump like a crab's legs
- Wider, paler blades than lawn grass
- Finger-like seed heads at the top
Spreads by: Seed germinating once soil hits ~55°F, plus rooting at nodes
Getting rid of it
- Pull the whole clump — the crown must come out
- Corn gluten meal in early spring as a pre-emergent (not where you're sowing)
- Keep soil covered; it needs warm bare soil to sprout
Common mistake: Waiting until it seeds in late summer. One plant sets thousands.
Worst in: Bed edges, thin lawn, path gravel
Bermuda grass
Cynodon dactylon
Not edible
Perennial grassWarm season
How to spot it
- Wiry above-ground runners (stolons) that root at every node
- Grey-green fine blades
- Seed head with 3–7 spokes like a bird's foot
Spreads by: Stolons above ground and rhizomes below — both regrow from fragments
Getting rid of it
- Dig out completely including rhizomes; sift the soil if the patch is small
- Occultation with a black tarp for 8+ weeks, or solarize a full summer
- Install a 12 in deep edging barrier along shared borders or it walks right back in
Common mistake: Tilling it into a new bed. You just planted it.
Worst in: Warm climates — the #1 raised bed invader in the Southwest
Yellow nutsedge
Cyperus esculentus
Edible with care
SedgeWarm season
How to spot it
- Shiny yellow-green blades that grow noticeably faster than the lawn
- Triangular stem — roll it between your fingers; sedges have edges
- Leaves in sets of three from the base
Edible parts: The tubers of yellow nutsedge (tiger nuts) are edible; purple nutsedge is bitter
Spreads by: Underground tubers (nutlets) — one plant can make hundreds
Getting rid of it
- Dig 8–10 in down and remove every tuber — pulling the top alone triggers more sprouts
- Fix the drainage problem that invited it in
- Repeated removal every 2–3 weeks all season to exhaust the tubers
Common mistake: Pulling the green top. Each pull signals the tubers to send up multiple new shoots.
Look-alike: Grass — but grass stems are round and hollow.
Worst in: Wet, poorly drained spots and over-irrigated beds
Broadleaf plantain
Plantago major
Edible
Perennial broadleafYear-round
How to spot it
- Flat rosette of oval leaves with strong parallel ribs
- Rat-tail seed spike straight up from the center
- Snap a leaf slowly: stringy fibers stretch between the halves
Edible parts: Young leaves cooked; crushed leaf is the classic field poultice for stings
Spreads by: Seed and a fibrous crown that regrows if left
Getting rid of it
- Lever the whole crown out with a hori-hori after rain
- Aerate the compacted soil it's telling you about, or it comes right back
Common mistake: Treating it as a lawn problem instead of a compaction problem.
Worst in: Paths and any walked-on ground
Creeping Charlie (ground ivy)
Glechoma hederacea
Edible with care
Perennial broadleafCool season
How to spot it
- Scalloped round leaves opposite on a square stem
- Strong minty smell when crushed
- Small purple funnel flowers in spring
Edible parts: Historically used as a tea herb; avoid if pregnant, and toxic to horses
Spreads by: Creeping stems that root at every node
Getting rid of it
- Lift the mat with a rake and roll it back like carpet, pulling rooted nodes
- Shade is its friend — thinning overhead limbs helps
- Sheet mulch stubborn patches for a season
Common mistake: Mowing it. It just spreads flatter and faster.
Worst in: Shady, damp lawn and bed edges
Canada thistle
Cirsium arvense
Edible with care
Perennial broadleafWarm season
How to spot it
- Spiny, wavy-edged leaves and a smooth (not spiny) stem
- Small purple pom-pom flowers in clusters
- Shows up in patches, not as single plants
Edible parts: Peeled stems and roots are edible but rarely worth it
Spreads by: Horizontal roots spreading 10–15 ft a year, plus wind seed
Getting rid of it
- Cut at the base every 2–3 weeks — never let it leaf out fully
- Tarp the patch for a full season if you can spare the space
- Wear leather gloves and long sleeves
Common mistake: Digging it, which chops the running roots into more plants.
Look-alike: Bull thistle (single plants, spiny winged stems, easier to kill)
Worst in: Field edges and neglected corners
Lambsquarters
Chenopodium album
Edible
Annual broadleafWarm season
How to spot it
- Diamond/goosefoot-shaped leaves
- White mealy powder on new growth and leaf undersides
- Grows fast and upright to 4+ ft
Edible parts: Young leaves, cooked like spinach (contains oxalates, so cook and don't overdo it)
Spreads by: Seed — tens of thousands per plant, viable for decades
Getting rid of it
- Easy to hand pull young; the taproot lifts cleanly
- Never let one reach flowering height — that's the whole battle
- Hoe seedlings weekly in spring
Common mistake: Leaving 'just one' behind. That one reseeds the entire bed.
Worst in: Rich, freshly composted beds
Redroot pigweed / amaranth
Amaranthus retroflexus
Edible with care
Annual broadleafWarm season
How to spot it
- Red-tinged taproot when pulled
- Hairy stem, oval alternate leaves
- Coarse bristly green seed spike at the top
Edible parts: Young leaves cooked and seeds; avoid plants grown in high-nitrogen soil (nitrate accumulation) and don't feed to livestock
Spreads by: Seed, up to 100,000 per plant
Getting rid of it
- Pull young while the taproot is soft
- Hoe seedlings; mature plants need hand digging
- Remove before the bristly seed head forms
Common mistake: Letting it grow past knee height — the taproot gets very hard to pull.
Worst in: Warm, fertilized vegetable beds
Henbit
Lamium amplexicaule
Edible
Annual broadleafCool season
How to spot it
- Square stem, scalloped leaves clasping directly around it
- Pink-purple tubular flowers in late winter
- Grows in a low sprawling clump
Edible parts: Whole young plant, mild and slightly sweet; loved by early bees
Spreads by: Seed in fall and late winter
Getting rid of it
- Hand pull in sheets in early spring, roots are shallow
- Mulch beds in fall to block the fall germination flush
Common mistake: Waiting for spring cleanup — it has already seeded by then.
Look-alike: Purple deadnettle (leaves have stalks and the top ones turn purple)
Worst in: Winter-fallow beds
Perennial grassCool season
How to spot it
- Coarse blue-green blades with clasping claw-like auricles at the base
- White, sharp-tipped rhizomes that spear straight through potato tubers and roots
- Wheat-like seed head
Spreads by: Aggressive white rhizomes; every inch regrows
Getting rid of it
- Fork out carefully and follow each white rhizome to its end
- Tarp for a full season on bad patches
- Do not till
Common mistake: Chopping the rhizomes with a tiller or spade and walking away.
Worst in: Cool-climate garden edges
Common mallow
Malva neglecta
Edible
Annual broadleafYear-round
How to spot it
- Round, crinkled, geranium-like leaves
- Sprawling stems from a stubborn central taproot
- Green disc seed pods that look like tiny cheese wheels
Edible parts: Leaves and the 'cheese' seed pods — mucilaginous, good in soups
Spreads by: Seed, viable for many years
Getting rid of it
- Dig the taproot early with a hori-hori — mature ones snap and regrow
- Mulch heavily; seed needs bare soil
Common mistake: Pulling the top and leaving the taproot.
Worst in: Compacted, disturbed edges
Yellow woodsorrel (oxalis)
Oxalis stricta
Edible with care
Perennial broadleafYear-round
How to spot it
- Three heart-shaped leaflets, fold up at night
- Small 5-petal yellow flowers
- Okra-shaped seed pods that fling seed when touched
Edible parts: Leaves and flowers — sharply lemony, high in oxalic acid so eat sparingly
Spreads by: Explosive seed pods and creeping roots/bulbils
Getting rid of it
- Pull before pods form or you'll fire seed 6 ft in every direction
- Get the whole root system, including bulbils in shady species
- Mulch and hand-weed monthly
Common mistake: Yanking a plant loaded with ripe pods and reseeding the whole bed.
Look-alike: Clover (rounded leaflets, no yellow flower, no pods)
Worst in: Container plants and greenhouse benches
White clover
Trifolium repens
Edible with care
Perennial broadleafYear-round
How to spot it
- Three oval leaflets with a pale V-shaped band
- White ball flowers
- Creeping stolons rooting along the ground
Edible parts: Flowers and young leaves in small amounts; cooked is easier to digest
Spreads by: Stolons and seed
Getting rid of it
- Usually leave it — it fixes nitrogen and feeds pollinators
- Where you don't want it, pull the rooted runners after rain
- Adding nitrogen makes grass outcompete it
Common mistake: Spraying it. Clover in the lawn is a free fertility signal, not a disaster.
Worst in: Low-nitrogen lawns (where it's arguably an upgrade)
Perennial broadleafYear-round
How to spot it
- Long lance leaves with distinctly wavy, curled edges
- Papery membrane (ocrea) where the leaf meets the stem
- Rusty-brown seed stalk that persists all winter
Edible parts: Young leaves cooked in a change of water; high oxalates, and seeds can be ground as flour
Spreads by: Seed (persists 50+ years) and a deep yellow taproot
Getting rid of it
- Dig the full taproot — often 12 in or more
- Cut the seed stalk immediately if you can't dig it
- Improve drainage; it favors wet, acidic ground
Common mistake: Leaving the brown seed stalks standing over winter.
Worst in: Wet, heavy, acidic soil
Hairy bittercress
Cardamine hirsuta
Edible
Annual broadleafCool season
How to spot it
- Small rosette of rounded lobed leaflets
- Thin stalk with tiny white 4-petal flowers
- Slender seed pods that catapult seed when brushed
Edible parts: Whole young plant — peppery, like watercress
Spreads by: Explosive seed pods — the classic nursery-pot hitchhiker
Getting rid of it
- Pull whole rosettes before flowers open, ideally in a bag
- Check every nursery plant you bring home and scrape the pot surface
- Mulch beds in fall
Common mistake: Waiting until pods form and detonating them while weeding.
Worst in: Nursery pots, greenhouse benches, cool moist beds
Japanese knotweed
Reynoutria japonica
Edible with care
Perennial broadleafWarm season
How to spot it
- Hollow bamboo-like canes with reddish speckles
- Broad shield-shaped leaves in a zig-zag pattern
- Sprays of creamy white flowers late summer
Edible parts: Young spring shoots taste like rhubarb — but never move any part of this plant off-site
Spreads by: Rhizomes up to 20 ft out and 7 ft deep; a fingernail-size fragment starts a new stand
Getting rid of it
- Do not dig, chip, or compost any part of it — that is how it spreads
- Cut canes low every 3 weeks through the season to drain the rhizome
- Check local regulations; in many places disposal is legally controlled and professional treatment is advised
Common mistake: Putting cuttings in green waste or moving contaminated soil.
Worst in: Stream banks, old foundations, neglected lots
Poison ivy
Toxicodendron radicans
Toxic
Woody vineWarm season
How to spot it
- Leaves of three, middle leaflet on a longer stalk
- Glossy new growth, red in spring and fall
- Hairy aerial rootlets on climbing vines
Spreads by: Birds spreading seed plus creeping roots
Getting rid of it
- Never burn it — the smoke causes serious lung injury
- Cover up fully, use disposable gloves, bag it, and wash tools and clothes with degreasing soap
- Cut climbing vines at the base and let the top die in place
- Rinse skin with dish soap and cool water within 20 minutes of contact
Common mistake: Weed-whacking it, which aerosolizes the urushiol oil.
Look-alike: Boxelder seedlings and Virginia creeper (5 leaflets) — both harmless.
Worst in: Fence lines, tree bases, shady edges
Annual morning glory
Ipomoea purpurea
Toxic
Woody vineWarm season
How to spot it
- Heart-shaped leaves, hairy twining stems
- Large 2–3 in purple, blue, or pink trumpets
- Dies back completely each winter, unlike bindweed
Spreads by: Hard-coated seed that stays viable for years
Getting rid of it
- Pull seedlings the moment you spot them — the root is shallow
- Never let a pod ripen if you don't want it back
- Easier than bindweed: no perennial root to fight
Common mistake: Planting it on purpose in a vegetable garden. It reseeds forever.
Look-alike: Field bindweed (smaller white flower, arrowhead leaves, perennial and far worse)
Worst in: Trellises and fence lines
Shepherd's purse
Capsella bursa-pastoris
Edible
Annual broadleafCool season
How to spot it
- Basal rosette of deeply toothed leaves
- Tall thin stalk of tiny white flowers
- Flat heart-shaped seed pods like little purses
Edible parts: Young leaves and the peppery seed pods
Spreads by: Seed, two or more generations per year
Getting rid of it
- Pull the rosette before the flower stalk shoots up
- Hoe seedlings in fall and early spring
Common mistake: Letting it bolt — it goes from rosette to seed in a couple of weeks.
Worst in: Cool-season beds and paths