Learn how to get rid of weeds in your lawn, how to identify common weeds, and reasons why you should let them stay.
What IS a weed? A weed is something that you don’t want in a particular space. I’m going to list some common plants that may grow in your grass and be considered a weed. I’m going to share how you might get rid of them, and also why you may want to let some stay.
Keep in mind that this is going to cover your typical small plant that will grow among the grass- not trees. Invasive trees such as Tree of Heaven and Callery Pear often will invade your lawn as well, but generally will be mowed down if you keep your grass short. They become problematic if you let the grass grow too long as they tend to be fast growing… they can be a sturdy sapling within a couple of months if there’s plenty of rain.
We have a decent amount of acreage so many of these weeds are present in our soil and it’s been interesting to learn more about them and what they indicate about our soil health.
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Common Lawn Weeds (USA)
Dandelions
Dandelions are one of my favorite weeds because they’re edible for humans (roots, greens, and flowers), and they’re also a nutritious food for many of the animals that I keep on the farm. I frequently pick them for our guinea pigs, rabbits, and rats, and they’re a favorite snack. People even sell dried dandelion root as a pet snack. Easy side hustle?
Dandelions have Vitamin A, C, and K, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and antioxidants. They can help reduce water retention, support liver health, potentially help regulate blood sugar, and provide immune support.
Roots can be used for tea, flowers can be used to make jelly or infused honey, and leaves can be added to salads and smoothies. The younger leaves supposedly taste better, but my guinea pigs love them all.
While they’re edible, you do NOT want to eat dandelions that have been exposed to pesticides and other contaminants. So if you spray your yard, or your neighbors do and there’s overspray, you want to avoid eating them or feeding them to pets.
Dandelions are also beneficial to the soil. They have deep roots that help loosen and aerate the soil, providing assistance improving drainage. They pull up nutrients from deeper under the soil and when they die back, the nutrients are left behind to improve the topsoil quality.
Large dandelion leaves help provide shade for soil and that, combined with their large roots, help with preventing erosion.
What they tell us: Dandelions love compacted soil. Their presence tells us that we may have low calcium or imbalanced nutrients in the soil, and they LOVE bare soil… so if you do yard work and don’t reseed the area, dandelions will be among the first plants to come back to those bare areas.
How to get rid of dandelions: While it’s cheaper to leave dandelions in your lawn and let them work for you, you could certainly address them more naturally. You would want to aerate your soil and balance nutrients in the soil. You should also seed your grass, particularly if there are bare spots, to encourage the grass to outcompete the dandelions.
When dandelions do pop up, try to collect the seeds before they spread. I’ve used a small hand vacuum (one made for keyboards works well) to collect the seeds… I use them to save seeds because I LOVE dandelions, but you could certainly dispose of them that way as well.
This likely won’t eliminate them completely, but it will help.
Clover
Clover! You likely spent time in your younger years in search of the four leaf clover for luck. This is a low-growing green plant that’s perennial. There’s three varieties: white clover, red clover, and crimson. Crimson clover is often used for a cover crop. The colors are related to the flower color- not the leaf color.
In the past, clover seed was part of most lawn seed mixes, but it’s been removed from them in recent years. Clover is beneficial for soil. It’s a nitrogen fixer, meaning that it takes nitrogen from the air and converts it into a nutrient to fertilize the surrounding soil.
It helps prevent erosion, improves soil health, the flowers provide nectar for pollinators, and it remains green, even during droughts.
Many people with horses dislike clover in their fields because it can cause something called the “slobbers” which is exactly what it sounds like- the horses walk around like 1,200 lb. zombies, drooling everywhere. But my vet and horse dentist LOVE it. They claim that the slobbers can actually help prevent issues like ulcers (I guess the slobber helps keeps things lubricated?).
What they tell us: Clover is a good indication that your soil has low nitrogen, is compacted, and that your grass it too thin.
How to get rid of clover: While the benefits of clover outweigh the difficulty of getting rid of it, in my opinion, you can get rid of clover by improving your soil quality (add nitrogen fertilizer or compost), aerating the soil, and seeding your lawn, particularly in thin areas.
It’s also better to mow at a higher setting because the higher growing grass can outcompete the clover.
Mowing tips: My zero turn mower can be set at a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6. The 2 is very low. I use that setting to cut areas that I need to stay very short. This will lead to things like clover taking over those zones. But my goal in those areas is to keep long grass from shorting out my electric fencing. I generally mow at a 4 or above for most areas.
Bird’s Eye Speedwell
Bird’s Eye Speedwell is a low growing, early flowering plant that can spread aggressively in disturbed soil. It’s non native to North America. I find it quite pretty.
While non-natives are generally are great option to prioritize weeding, this weed has a few good qualities. It is an early nectar source for pollinators, indicates poor soil health, and acts as a good ground cover for bare soil.
What they tell us: These plants love growing in moist, compacted soils. They indicate low soil fertility, nitrogen deficiency, and poor grass competition.
How to get rid of Bird’s Eye Speedwell: Improve soil health, reseed with grass seed to help outcompete this weed, and aerate the soil. You can also mow the grass at a 3-4″ setting so the grass will grow high enough to shade out low-growing weeds. Hand pull, if desired, when soil is moist.
Garlic Mustard
Garlic mustard is a plant that originated in Europe and Asia. It was introduced in the 1800s for food and erosion control. This plant is highly invasive to the United States and while it is edible and nutritious, it’s a good plant to remove as it’s a major concern for native ecosystems.
The good? It’s edible, and rich in Vitamins A and C. It can be used to make pesto.
The bad? It outcompetes native plants and isn’t as good for pollinators are native sources. It reduces biodiversity in the ecosystem., and the chemicals it release suppress important soil fungi that help trees grow. It’s VERY quick to spread by seed. It also isn’t thought to be safe for guinea pigs and rabbits which is a shame. I’m always a bit more motivated to weed for their benefit.
What they tell us: This plant indicates moist, disturbed soil, and it likes growing in shady areas. It grows in areas where there isn’t a lot of native plant competition. It indicates very little: it will grow where it can.
How to get rid of it: This one is rough to get rid of… you need to hand pull these, ensuring that you pull the entire root, and place them in garbage bags. They CANNOT be composted if they’ve already flowered: they’ll simply spread the seeds. Weed when the soil is moist and before the plant flowers.
Purple Dead Nettle
A member of the mint family, this weed is fast spreading and one of the first plants to flower in the spring. It is non native, but naturalized widely throughout the United States.
It’s beneficial as an early nectar source for pollinators in the spring, it helps prevent erosion over the winter, it adds organic matter when it dies back, and it suppresses more aggressive weeds.
It’s historically been used for anti-inflammatory and antibacterial purposes, and the leaves can be edible in small amounts (added to salads or smoothies).
What they tell us: This plant likes to grow in moist, nitrogen-rich soils, particularly in the cooler seasons (Fall through Spring). It can indicate over watering or poor drainage, and soil compaction.
How to get rid of Dead Nettle: Improve drainage, aerate the soil, and grow lawn or other ground cover to outcompete it. You should pull this weed before it flowers and drops seeds.
Lambs Quarters
This fast growing, edible weed is seen as a nuisance, but it’s nutritious and ecologically beneficial. It can grow 1-6′ tall and it’s a fast growing annual. It’s leaves and young stems are high in vitamins A, C, and K, calcium, and iron. They can be eaten raw (young leaves) or cooked like spinach.
I use these occasionally as a food for my guinea pigs and rabbits, although they should be only fed in moderation as it can cause calcium imbalances for guinea pigs.
While not native to the United States, it’s considered to be naturalized. It can be a good temporary ground cover to reduce erosion and build biomass.
What they tell us: This weed tells us that your soil is high in organic matter with good nitrogen and phosphorous levels. It indicates that the soil is disturbed/bare. It likes to show up in zones where the ground has been tilled or
How to get rid of it: There are a variety of ways to handle this weed. It’s easy to pull, particularly if the soil is moist. If you have a bare area of soil that it’s growing in, you can also use the chop and drop method to help improve soil quality. You cut it down and let the rest compost into the soil. It will add nutrients into the soil, and at that point, you can reseed the area with a plant that you prefer.
Slender Yellow Wood Sorrel
Wood sorrel is a low growing plant with heart shaped leaves and small, yellow 5-petaled flowers. It’s native to Maryland and much of North America. It likes to be in well-drained, slightly acidic to neutral soils. It helps with erosion, acts as a ground cover, and is a pollinator support.
It’s leaves, stems and flowers are edible, rich in Vitamin C, and sometimes used in teas or salads. It contains oxalic acid so it should be eaten in small quantities.
What they tell us: This plant indicates that the soil isn’t heavily compacted and that the soil is somewhat fertile.
How to get rid of it: Improve other types of ground cover to reduce the open space where this might grow. Hand pull, making sure to get the entire root system.
Buttercups
Buttercups are perennials. They generally bloom in the Spring and have a small yellow flower. They provide nectar and pollen for bees, hoverflies and beetles, but they aren’t as much of a vital food source as better pollinator plants like native wildflowers.
Buttercups can be toxic to animals, particularly when fresh. This is problematic for cows, horses, sheep, and goats, although most herd animals avoid eating them due to the bitter taste. Dried buttercups, such as those found in properly cut hay, are not typically toxic.
What they tell us: Buttercups thrive in acidic soils that have poor drainage. Unlike cover crops or dynamic accumulators (clover, comfrey), they don’t add nutrients or help alter the soil’s pH.
How to get rid of buttercups: Buttercups are often a good indication that you need to add lime to your soil. Lime improves the soil conditions by reducing acidity and other plants will have a chance to outcompete the buttercups.
Mock Strawberry (False Strawberry)
The mock strawberry is a strawberry-like groundcover that is low growing and produces a tiny ‘strawberry’ fruit. They spread aggressively, but aren’t dangerous. They’re invasive, but naturalized, and offers few benefits compared to true strawberries. The fruit is technically edible, but bland.
I dislike these, purely because they grow amidst my actual strawberries and make it more difficult to weed.
What they tell us: They grow in moist, compact soil that is shady. Like most weeds, it grows where there’s thin grass or bare soil.
How to get rid of them: Weed these when the soil is moist, ensuring to remove the entire root system and runners. Plant others things to outcompete these, and mow higher to help shade out these weeds.
Bitter Dock
Bitter dock is native plant to Europe and parts of Asia, but has naturalized in the USA, particularly in moist, disturbed areas. It has a large leaf, can can be misidentified as a dandelion leaf. It has a long taproot and can grow to 2-5′ high, producing flower stalks.
The plant has a few benefits, such as deep taproots to break up compacted soil and a minor pollinator resource. It’s leaves store calcium, magnesium and iron so those nutrients are returned to the soil when this is cut down or dies back.
What they tell us: This weed is a good soil indicator, and lets us know that the soil is likely heavy, compacted, and poorly drained, acidic to neutral pH, and that the area may be nutrient-rich or manure-heavy. This makes it a common weed for overgrazed pasture.
How to get rid of them: The taproot must be weeded completely in order to get rid of this weed, but you can also cut the flower stalks before seeding in order to prevent further growth. Aerate the soil and overseed it to discourage the growth of this weed. You can ‘chop and drop’ this plant- just do it before it goes to seed. If you maintain your pasture so it doesn’t get too tall, and add enough grass (and clover) seed to compete with it, you may be able to prevent the spread of this.
Reasons to Let the Weeds Stay
- Weeds can be food for humans or animals that are beneficial to your home and garden. For example, bees love dandelions and those flowers are some of the earliest in the season that they have access to.
- Weeds can be beautiful.
- They’re a natural part of the ecosystem, at least so long as they’re native species.
- Diversity in your grass helps balance the ecosystem of the grass and keeps your lawn looking green.
- It’s an expensive battle to try to fight nature.
- Your grass is just as invasive as the weeds, if not more so. Just consider how hard grass is to pull up if it grows into your garden bed.
- Weeds give us information: Weeds can be indicative of the needs of your lawn. For example, if you have a lot of buttercups, this can be a sign that you need to add lime to your lawn or pasture.
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