Have you got weeds in your beautiful, lush garden? Wait! Don’t turn to equipment of mass destruction to eliminate weeds right away.
Instead, look closely at them, as many of these seeming invaders on your lawn might be edible and safe to eat. And in fact, they even might be tasty to eat, especially when young and soft.
You may have seen your ancestors harvesting some plants referred to as weeds and other veggies. They used those plants as cooked greens and in salads. Moreover, in terms of nutrition, many wild greens are richer in antioxidants, beta-carotene, and vitamins C and E. Some are even more potent in flavor. Now:
The beautiful state of Georgia turns up with nearly a few hundred different weed species. And all of these species aren’t invasive or harmful.
You will find many weeds with pretty flowers in Georgia, and fascinatingly, they don’t apparently look like weeds. Nonetheless, they are weeds!
Yellow Nutsedge, crabgrass, common Bermuda grass, clover, and annual bluegrass are among the most prevalent weeds around Metro Atlanta. But these weeds are typically the hardest ones to control.
Well, you should note that it’s better to get weeds under control, edible or invasive, as they can be a pretty nightmare.
In this article, we will explore the most common weeds found in Georgia.
13 Common Weeds You Will Find In Georgia with Pictures
Weeds can be pretty challenging to identify. Some broadleaf weeds are easy to spot and treat, while others are not. This article will serve as a visual and informative guide to the indigenous weed species that reside in Georgia.
Some of them might be currently sprouting in your garden or yard without your knowledge. So keep on reading the article to identify and know about them.
1. Poa Annual
| Family | Poaceae |
| Type | Annual Grass |
| Edible | No |
| Common Name(s) | Annual Bluegrass, Annual Blue, Annual Meadowgrass, Meadow Grass, Low Spear Grass, Walkgrass, Six Week Grass |
Poa Annua is primarily a weed of turfgrass and lawns. This light green, low-growing, and clump-forming grass have prow-shaped, yellow-green leaf tips.
And its unique silver to whitish flower head makes it pretty arresting in a lawn or garden. While Poa Annual likes shady and moist areas, it germinates from fall through spring.
However, this weed species is a prolific seed producer and can be tough to control. A hundred seeds produced in a season can stay dormant for years before blooming. Nevertheless, they can be well-controlled and managed using the most pre-emergence herbicides made for use.
2. Crabgrass
| Family | Poaceae |
| Type | Annual Grass |
| Edible | Yes |
| Common Name(s) | Fingergrass and fonio |
Does it look familiar? Maybe yes, as this low-growing grassy weed is the foe of many garden owners and the worst offender in Georgia.
Interestingly, this weed is named after its emerging stem that resembles crab legs. Some of you may find its structure ugly as it appears to hurt easily.
Why is crabgrass the nemesis of almost all garden owners? This light-green, coarse clump of grass will take advantage of germinating in any bare or thin areas in your yard. Moreover, crabgrass can sustain heat and even drought. So you can nip this weed in the bud if you see it rearing its undesirable head in your garden.
Mulching is one of the great ways to eliminate the crabgrass ,heat-loving clump of grass from the lawn. Otherwise, you can apply pre-emergent to kill the crabgrass before its seeds are germinated.
However, if you don’t apply pre-emergent, you can opt for a post-emergent weed treatment throughout the summer.
3. Poa Trivialis
| Family | Poaceae |
| Type | Perennial Grass |
| Edible | Fairly nutritious |
| Common Name(s) | Rough-stalk meadow grass, Rough-stalk bluegrass |
Often regarded as a weed of golf courses, Poa trivialis is commonly found in pastures, meadows, and gardens in Georgia. This light-green, grassy weed prefers wet, sheltered places.
They form dense patches in the yard during the late fall and winter. However, while the temperature elevates, the weed dies out, leaving light-brown patches in the garden.
Poa trivialis can reach a height of about 3-1/3feet tall and has shiny, yellow-colored seeds. Well, make sure you aren’t over-watering your yard or garden as they can be harder to control in moisture. However, a pre-emergent during the fall will stop the seeds from sprouting.
4. Clover
| Family | Fabaceae |
| Type | Perennial Broadleaf |
| Edible | Yes |
| Common Name(s) | Trefoil |
Young clover looks cute, isn’t it? You may have grown occasionally looking at these cool four-leaf clovers. But as a grown-up, it can be a headache when you see clovers lurking around your beautiful garden.
Clovers are a very common weed species of lawns. Their creeping stems set roots wherever they touch the ground.
Moreover, they sprout in patches, taking over where grass would have thrived.
Clovers have leaves with three leaflets and white flowers with green centers. Interestingly, this variety has the nitrogen-fixing ability and, thus, is often preferable for poorly fertilized yards.
Nevertheless, a fertilized, healthy lawn will put off clovers from germinating. Therefore, the first thing to ensure is that you have fertilized your lawn perfectly during the warm, growing seasons.
A quick tip is to rip or pull up clover and not mix it with your grass clippings or compost.
However, a post-emergent treatment will also be effective on the lawn where this weed is actively growing.
5. Dandelion
| Family | Asteraceae |
| Type | Perennial Broadleaf |
| Edible | Yes |
| Common Name(s) | Daisy, Aster, Composite, or Sunflower family |
Here’s another weed that you might have enjoyed being young. Did you even make a wish and blow the cotton petals off a Dandelion? It was fun.
Dandelions have hollow stems, and their leaves appear as a circle at the stem’s base. Moreover, their yellow flowers with puffy, white seed heads are alluring.
Nonetheless, it’s essential to keep our garden weed-free, and Dandelions are, after all, a broadleaf weed species. So you must pull them out from the roots.
On the other hand, you can suppress dandelions with a pre-emergent application. However, the best way to control them is with post-emergent weed control. It will destroy the entire plant, taproot, etc.
6. Henbit
| Family | Lamiaceae |
| Type | Annual Broadleaf |
| Edible | Yes |
Henbit is a somewhat hairy, annual winter weed with purplish to greenish, square, soft stems. With its fibrous root system, Henbit can grow up to 16-inch height. Moreover, they show reddish-purple flowers with dark color spots on lower petals, germinating in the fall or winter.
Well, you can significantly get rid of this weed by maintaining a healthy and dense lawn. However, pre-emergent weed treatment in the fall will provide the best defense against Henbit sprouting in undesirable places. You can even hand dug and suppress this weed with mulching in landscape beds.
7. Bermuda
| Family | Poaceae |
| Edible | Yes |
| Common Name(s) | Dhoob, Ethan Grass, Durva Grass, Bahama Grass, Couch Grass, Dog’s Tooth Grass, Wiregrass |
Bermuda grows as forage for livestock or turfgrass and is also an invasive weed. And this beautiful grass breed covers several golf courses all across the world. However, you will find them, especially in the south, where golfing is frequent. But Bermuda can also be an invasive weed.
This weed makes its way to beautiful lawns throughout the state of Georgia. But, fascinatingly, many people don’t usually consider this invasive species a weed for no reason. Lawn services can eliminate this very low-lying, heat-thriven, vicious intruder.
8. Nutsedge
| Family | Cyperaceae |
| Type | Perennial Sedge |
| Edible | Yes |
| Common Name(s) | Nut grass, Coco-grass, Java grass |
While Nutsedges look closely like grasses, they are also referred to as ‘nut-grass.’ This is because they have tuberous, nutlet-producing roots that get left behind after pulling the weed up.
These left-over nutlets sprout to create more weeds. However, their sweet and nutty flavor makes them edible and ideal to use in soups, sweets, etc. They can even be eaten roasted, raw, and boiled.
Despite their edibility, they are a common nemesis of garden owners as Nutsedges are aggressive and invasive weeds, infesting lawns, flower gardens, and home landscapes.
They are easily identifiable on a lawn as Nutsedges grow above a grass height and showcase shinier green stems.
You can have the best defense against this weed by meeting fertilization needs, watering, and mowing. However, you can eradicate mature Nutsedge with post-emergent weed treatment.
Also Read: Weeds in Texas | Spot 13 Different Types of Weeds in your Garden With Pictures
9. Spurge
| Family | Euphorbiaceae |
| Type | Annual Broadleaf |
| Edible | No, poisonous |
| Common Name(s) | Spotted sandman, Spotted euphoria, Prostate spurge, and Milk-purslane. |
Spurge is among the fast-growing weed that grows low to the ground. While it spreads fast, Spurge can quickly become a problem if not timely treated.
The earlier you treat this annual summer weed sprouting in your garden, the faster you can control it. This low-growing weed forms a dense mat while it spreads. And when it breaks, the stem oozes out a milky sap.
Mowing and watering as per grass type are a great defense against this weed species. However, garden owners can also carry out a post-emergent control treatment while the Spurge is actively growing to control them.
10. Chamberbitter
| Family | Phyllanthaceae |
| Type | Annual Broadleaf |
| Edible | Yes |
| Common Name(s) | Leaf-flower, Little mimosa, or Gripeweed |
Chamberbitter is known as ‘Little Mimosa’ as it resembles the Mimosa tree. This annual, warm-season, broadleaf weed grows in warm soils in early summer.
With its well-developed taproot, this weed grows upright with thin, oval-shaped green leaves. You can identify them by looking at their leaves, arranged in two rows on the branchlets.
To prevent Chamberbitter from sprouting in non-desirable areas, it’s important to properly fertilize your lawn throughout the year, keeping it well-maintained. Furthermore, pre-and post-emergent weed control will control this weed’s growth.
11. Goosegrass
| Family | Poaceae |
| Type | Annual Grass |
| Edible | Yes |
| Common Name(s) | Wiregrass, Yard-grass, Crowfoot-grass |
If you have spotted the branched tufts of grass edged with finger-like blades, it’s time to learn how to eradicate goosegrass. Lawn grass looks unkempt and ragged with growing goosegrass.
However, this annual weed is resilient and can thrive in hard, compacted soils. Goosegrass has green, flat stems and a noticeable white color at its base.
While this weed thrives in hard soil, one simple way to prevent the weed is by aerating your lawn yearly. The process boosts the ground’s porosity, discouraging goosegrass formation.
In addition, a post-emergent weed treatment will also be effective, and you may need to carry out multiple applications.
Also Read: 11 Different Types of Weeds in Colorado With Pictures
12. Wild Violets
| Family | Violaceae |
| Type | Annual or Perennial Broadleaf |
| Edible | Yes |
| Common Name(s) | Common blue violet, Common meadow violet, woolly blue violet, purple violet, wood violet, and hooded violet |
This perennial weed blooms in early spring and likes damp, shady areas on a lawn. How do we identify wild violets? They have heart-shaped, scalloped edge leaves with a waxy coating that makes them easy to identify.
Their flowers’ color ranges from deep purple to light blue. However, what makes this weed aggressively spread throughout the lawn is their fleshy, rhizomes underground stems.
If you mow at a height best for your yard, it will let the grass grow thicker and develop a deep root system. Moreover, it’s better to leave the grass clippings where they fall when using a mulching mower as they will recycle the nutrients back into the soil.
In addition, you can opt for a post-emergent weed control treatment on growing Wild Violets to control the weed at its best.
13. Dallisgrass
| Family | Poaceae |
| Type | Perennial Grass |
| Edible | No |
| Common Name(s) | Dallas grass, Sticky heads |
Another invasive weed that takes up the lawns and disturbed areas of Georgia is Dallisgrass. They tend to grow densely, which prevents other indigenous species from blooming. In addition, dallisgrass grows rapidly, and luxuriant production quickly destroys agricultural lands.
This coarse-textured grassy weed has greyish-green leaves with a unique vein running down the middle. However, the fact is that this is among the most difficult weed species to control. It may require multiple post-emergent applications to control the growth of Dallisgrass.
Final Thoughts
So here are the most common weeds that grow in Georgia. However, it’s essential to remember that the ultimate weapon to demolish weeds is maintaining a lush and healthy lawn.
If the grass is healthier and thicker, the chances of weed germination will be less. On the other hand, keep note that not all weeds are invasive.
We hope this article will offer you a proper insight into the indigenous weeds in Georgia, how they look and can be controlled and which are edible.
