Broadleaf weeds are unwanted tough plants that may grow in lawns, gardens or yards. They can be easy to spot when growing among grasses. They multiply with ease and can be very hard to eradicate.

Basic characteristics

Broadleaf weeds can emerge annually, biennially, or perennially, making consistent management difficult. Perennial weeds are often very difficult to control as the weeds regenerate faster than they can be eradicated. Broadleaf weeds, as their name suggests, often have wide leaves and grow from a stem. Most broadleaf weeds develop clusters of blossoms or single flowers as they mature that can be considered undesirable. The roots of most broadleaf weeds are fibrous in nature. The roots can be thin, a large

taproot A taproot is a large, central, and dominant root from which other roots sprout laterally. Typically a taproot is somewhat straight and very thick, is tapering in shape, and grows directly downward. In some plants, such as the carrot, the taproo ...

, or a combination. Many broadleaf weeds spread through their seeds and

rhizomes In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

, although some only spread through seeds. Popular Broadleaf Weeds are

Chickweed ''Stellaria media'', chickweed, is an annual and perennial flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae.Fernald, M. L. 1950. “Gray's Manual of Botany”. Eight Edition. American Book Company, New York, NY. 1632 pp. It is native to Euras ...

Clover Clover or trefoil are common names for plants of the genus ''Trifolium'' (from Latin ''tres'' 'three' + ''folium'' 'leaf'), consisting of about 300 species of flowering plants in the legume or pea family Fabaceae originating in Europe. The genus ...

Dandelion ''Taraxacum'' () is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, which consists of species commonly known as dandelions. The scientific and hobby study of the genus is known as taraxacology. The genus is native to Eurasia and Nor ...

, Wild Geranium,

Ivy ''Hedera'', commonly called ivy (plural ivies), is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and ...

Milkweed ''Asclepias'' is a genus of herbaceous, perennial, flowering plants known as milkweeds, named for their latex, a milky substance containing cardiac glycosides termed cardenolides, exuded where cells are damaged. Most species are toxic to humans ...

, Plantain (Broadleaf), and

Thistle Thistle is the common name of a group of flowering plants characterised by leaves with sharp prickles on the margins, mostly in the family Asteraceae. Prickles can also occur all over the planton the stem and on the flat parts of the leaves. ...

Contrast with grassy weeds

The differences in broadleaf weeds' structure and growth habits make them easy to distinguish from narrow-leaved weedy grasses. Most broadleaf weeds have leaves with net-like veins and nodes that contain one or more leaves, and they may have showy flowers, while grassy weeds appear as a single leaf from a germinated seed. Furthermore, grassy weeds are different because they may initially appear like desirable grasses.

Control methods

Although broadleaf weeds can grow aggressively, they can be controlled via different methods. When there are few broadleaf weeds present, an effective approach is hand-pulling. This should be carried out regularly to check the spread of weeds. In a thick lawn that is overgrown with broadleaf weeds, a

lawn mower A lawn mower (also known as a mower, grass cutter or lawnmower) is a device utilizing one or more revolving blades (or a reel) to cut a grass surface to an even height. The height of the cut grass may be fixed by the design of the mower, but g ...

may be necessary. When there are abundant broadleaf weeds, a chemical

herbicide Herbicides (, ), also commonly known as weedkillers, are substances used to control undesired plants, also known as weeds.EPA. February 201Pesticides Industry. Sales and Usage 2006 and 2007: Market Estimates. Summary in press releasMain page fo ...

(weed killer) can be useful. There are chemical herbicides meant for controlling broadleaf weeds. Perennial broadleaf weeds are often controlled with chemical herbicides, although they can sometimes return after several months. Broadleaf weeds can be controlled by shading them out. This involves covering the affected area with flat materials such as boards, nylon, or plastic sheets, blocking the weeds' access to sunlight and water and killing them.

References

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