Dodder
Dodders are parasitic plants that can affect a variety of plants, including vegetables, herbaceous and woody plants, and even weeds. Learn what dodders look like and what to do if you find them in this factsheet.
Weeds & Invasive Plants
Weeds and invasive plants can out-compete our desired plants, reduce the attractiveness of our landscapes, and even cause physical harm to people and animals. Identifying and understanding the life cycle of weeds can be important in determining the best control methods and protecting our native landscapes.
Featured Articles
Common Weed Seedlings of the North Central States
This detailed, illustrated guide will help you identify 54 of the most common problem weed species in the north central region of the United States. It is divided into two main sections: grass and grass-like weeds and broadleaf weeds.
Wild Parsnip
Wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) is an aggressive Eurasian member of the carrot family that grows in sunny areas and tolerates dry to wet soil types. Very invasive, it can overtake roadsides and fields. Contact with this plant can cause severe skin blisters and permanent scarring. Learn how to identify and control this invasive plant in this factsheet.
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Articles
Identifying grasses in Wisconsin
R.C. Newman Revised: 5/11/2010 Item number: A1827 Click here to view this 12-page publication that help you identify the 30 most common grass species in Wisconsin turf. Download Article
Dame’s Rocket
Dame’s rocket is a Eurasian biennial belonging to the mustard family. It was introduced to North America in the 1600’s and has naturalized itself in moist, wooded areas, but can also invade open areas. Learn how to identify and control this invasive plant in this factsheet.
Garlic Mustard
Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is a European woodland plant introduced to North America by early settlers for its culinary and alleged medicinal qualities. Identification and control methods are covered in this concise factsheet.
Yellow Goatsbeard, Tragopogon spp.
Have you noticed yellow flowers blooming individually on tall, scraggly stems or fluffy seed heads like extra-large dandelions along the roadside? There are two species of Tragopogon, introduced weeds that both have the common name yellow goatsbeard and are both common in disturbed areas. To learn more about these plants read this article…
Spotted Spurge, Chamaesyce (=Euphorbia) maculata
You’ve likely seen flat, mat-like plants spreading in your garden, on the roadside, or maybe even growing from the cracks in the driveway. This is most likely spotted spurge, a native plant with weedy characteristics. To learn more about this annual plant in spurge family (of which poinsettia is a member), read this article…
Chicory, Cichorium intybus
Do you recognize those blue flowers along the roadside that will keep blooming until frost (if not mowed off)? That’s chicory, an escaped, naturalized European plant that has been used for food and forage since ancient times, although most Americans know it just as a weed. To learn more about Chicorium intybus, read this article…
Henbit, Lamium amplexicaule
With small but pretty pink flowers, henbit might be considered an ornamental plant, but is a weed for most people. This introduced relative of the more-refined, perennial spotted deadnettle (Lamium maculatum) that is commonly cultivated in gardens is an annual or winter annual. To learn more about this plant, read this article…
Wild Cucumber, Echinocystis lobata
Have you noticed white-flowering vines engulfing trees or shrubs, particularly in more rural areas, lately? Wild cucumber is a warm season annual that becomes quite conspicuous in late summer at the peak of its growth and bloom. Although it is in the same family as cultivated cucumber, this species is not edible. To learn more about this native plant, read this article…
Catchweed Bedstraw, Galium aparine
Every spring I rip out handfuls of a sticky annual weed with whorls of leaves along its lanky stems. This species (Galium aparine) is a low-brow relative of the nice, ornamental perennial Sweet Woodruff (G. odorata). To learn more about this annoying weed, read this article…
Yellow toadflax, Linaria vulgaris
Yellow toadflax is a weedy Eurasian species of Linaria that has naturalized throughout the country. Although it has pretty yellow flowers, this perennial spreads by creeping rhizomes, making it difficult to control. Learn more about this plant in this article…
Common Mullein, Verbascum thapsus
Have you seen those tall spikes poking up along roadsides or in gardens from wooly leaves? Soon the yellow flowers will start to open (if they haven’t already) on these common mullein plants. If you’d like to learn more about this widespread weed, read this article…
