skip to main content

Gardening in the UK

Unknown weeds

13 years ago

Hi I have these grassy kind of weeds growing everywhere in my garden, all over my stone areas, paths and patio. Does anyone know what they are? I have tried lots of different weed killers but they are just not working, and there is becoming to many of them to manage pulling them out by hand.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

davidmuk
Original Author
13 years ago
Other picture
florauk
13 years ago
Equisetum arvense. Common Horsetail. You have my commiserations.

Here is a link that might be useful: Horsetail
Related Discussions
Unknown Weed in my pasture
Q
Comments (2)
You might compare it to Conyza canadensis, horseweed or mare's tail (no pun intended!). If it is horseweed it contains turpene which is very irritating to the horses' nostrils. Here is a link that might be useful: horseweed This post was edited by hortster on Tue, Jul 1, 14 at 14:46
...See More
unknown weed with yellow flowers
Q
Comments (5)
A location would have been useful. However, Abutilon indicum is a tropical plant. It has never been reported as escaped in the US, and has much smaller leaves than those shown in the photo. That looks like typical A. theophrasti to me.
...See More
Unknown weed
Q
Comments (10)
It looks like Hydrophyllum. Not uncommon in rich woods in northern New Jersey, rare in South Jersey (not much habitat for it). Past bloom now. Usually it has white or very very pale blue flowers. It does pretty well as a garden plant. Phacelia tanacetifolia would be a new plant for New Jersey. It's doubtful that we have any truly native Phacelia in the state, but Phacelia bipinnatifida turns up from time to time and seems to thrive.
...See More
Unknown Weed infestation
Q
Comments (7)
It looks a bit too loose and airy for Anthriscus sylvestris, which lines miles of our roads in May. A view of the whole plant and some shots of the larger leaves at the base of the plant would help. To avoid all the bending use a garden fork to loosen the roots and lift the plant. Or work from a kneeling/crouching/sitting position.
...See More
griselinia
13 years ago
It does look like horsetail, & that is one vicious weed. It grows a lot round my area, North Yorkshire, and will spread rapidly & prolifically over large areas once it takes hold.
I suspect the previous owners got rid of it (ie, they took off the tops), & then put a thick mulch of gravel to disguise it. I have seen whole gardens invaded by it.
I expect you will have looked it up by now so know the worst.
A crumb of comfort however: I was shocked to find shoots of it coming up in one area of my garden when I first moved in. I sprayed each piece with the modern types of Glyphosate eg, Roundup, (protecting other plants with sheets of cardboard) & it gets rid of it for that year. I cannot understand why it hasn't worked for you. But I examine my garden throughout spring every year to catch new growth & spray it immediately. I believe the root system goes very deep & is extensive, but the glyphosate kills some of that.
This year it was quite bad again, perhaps because of the good weather, & I had to do quite a few sprayings, ie, spray each new piece as soon as I spotted it. So far it hasn't spread to other areas.

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES Sweet Serendipity: Opening to Happy Garden Discoveries

Unplanned nature scenes can be unbelievably beautiful; you just need to know how to look

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: Just-Right Realism in an Eclectic Family Home

By Samantha Schoech

With 1,100 square feet, a modest budget and 2 young children, a San Francisco family embraces a creative DIY approach

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 7 Low-Maintenance Lawn Alternatives

By J. Peterson Garden Design

Turf isn't the only ground cover in town. Get a lush no-grass lawn with clover, moss and other easy-care plants

GARDENING GUIDES 6 Plants That Beat Butterfly Bush for the Wildlife Draw

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

It's invasive, a nonnative and a poor insect magnet. Check out these better alternatives to butterfly bush in the garden

GARDENING GUIDES We Bust 4 More Native Plant Myths

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Have you been taken in by these fallacies about gardening with native plants?

LANDSCAPE DESIGN What Kind of Gardener Are You? Find Your Archetype

Pick from our descriptions to create a garden that matches your personality and tells your story

LIFE 10 Steps for Saying Goodbye to Sentimental Objects

By Laura Gaskill

Are keepsakes cluttering your space and your life? Consider this approach for letting go and moving on

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES Gardening for the Bees, and Why It’s a Good Thing

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

When you discover how hard bees work for our food supply, you may never garden without them in mind again

SAVING WATER Great Plants for Lush, Low-Water Gardens

By Christine Tusher

Water restrictions making your garden look washed out? Give it living color with unthirsty grasses, flowers and succulents

GARDENING GUIDES Get on a Composting Kick (Hello, Free Fertilizer!)

By Matt Kilburn

Quit shelling out for pricey substitutes that aren’t even as good. Here’s how to give your soil the best while lightening your trash load

Sponsored