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A weed-free garden would take 24-hour attention!

Weeds - Lawn Weeds

Lawn weeds can turn a smooth green patch into a bumpy mix of leaves and flowers. Learn why they appear, how they spread, and simple ways to keep grass healthy.

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Fascinating Fact:

Creeping buttercup likes damp soil and can spread by runners. Improving drainage and reducing shade can make conditions less favourable for it.

Lawn weeds are plants that compete with grass and take advantage of gaps, weak growth, or compacted soil. Many spread by seed, while others creep along the surface or regrow from small root pieces. The best long-term approach is to help the grass outcompete them, mowing at the right height, feeding when needed, and improving the soil so roots can breathe. Regular scarifying and aerating can also reduce thatch and compaction, making lawns stronger and less welcoming to weeds.

Key Terms

Thatch: A layer of dead grass and roots that builds up on the soil surface and can weaken the lawn.
Aeration: Making small holes in the lawn to let air, water, and nutrients reach grass roots.
Compaction: Soil pressed down so tightly that water drains poorly and roots struggle to grow.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

Why do weeds grow in my lawn?

Weeds grow in lawns when grass is thin or stressed, often due to shade, poor drainage, compaction, or low nutrients. Weeds take advantage of bare patches and weak growth.

What is the best way to get rid of lawn weeds without killing grass?

The best way is to strengthen the grass first, mowing correctly and feeding the lawn, then remove weeds by hand or spot-treat them so the surrounding grass can fill the gaps.

How can I stop lawn weeds coming back?

Stop lawn weeds returning by keeping grass dense and healthy, overseeding thin areas, improving drainage, and aerating compacted soil. A thicker lawn leaves less space for weeds.

Try These Related Quizzes

To see a larger image, click on the picture.

1 .

Can you identify this weed that is frequently found in lawns?

Photograph courtesy of M J Richardson

Creeping thistle

Clover

Creeping buttercup

Yarrow

Latin Name: Ranunculus repens.
Has bright golden flowers that are 2 to 3 cm across.
Plants are poisonous but because they are distasteful they are avoided by grazing cattle and sheep.
When dried with hay the poisons disappear.
Stems from the plants steadily creep through a lawn, rooting as they go.

2 .

Can you identify this weed that is frequently found in lawns?

Photograph courtesy of www.geograph.org.uk/profile/139

Dandelion

Daisy

Creeping buttercup

Scarlet pimpernel

Latin Name: Bellis Perennis
Grows very close to the ground and although its flower heads are often taken off by the mower there are always others that open within a day or two!
Each white petal is an individual flower as are each of the central yellow parts.
Flowers that work together in this way to attract insects are known as composite flowers.

3 .

Can you identify this weed that is frequently found in lawns?

Photograph courtesy of AnemoneProjectors

Wild Sorrel

Plantain

Scarlet pimpernel

Creeping thistle

Latin Name: Plantago major.
Forms a low growing rosette of leaves up to 30 cm in diameter.
Long greenish-brown flower spikes can be produced but they are seldom seen in lawns because they are cut off by the mower.
Grows happily in the compacted areas that can be found in many lawns.
Sometimes known as 'soldiers herb' because of its use as a field dressing.

4 .

Can you identify this weed that is frequently found in lawns?

Photograph courtesy of Matt Lavin

Yarrow

Plantain

Dandelion

Clover

Latin Name: Trifolium repens.
The Latin deciphered means three (Tri) leaves (folium).
Finding a plant with four leaves is supposed to bring good luck.
In legend, the first leaf represents faith, the second is hope, the third is love and the fourth is luck.
There are both red flowered and white flowered forms of the plant.

5 .

Can you identify this weed that is frequently found in lawns?

Photograph courtesy of www.geograph.org.uk/profile/6699

Plantain

Wild sorrel

Clover

Creeping buttercup

Latin Name: Rumex acetosa.
Also known as spinach dock and narrow-leaved dock.
Roots grow deep into the ground.
Commonly found in the wild and is sometimes cultivated as a herb.
Its leaves are eaten by many species of butterfly and moth.

6 .

Can you identify this weed that is frequently found in lawns?

Yarrow

Dandelion

Scarlet pimpernel

Silverweed

Latin Name: Argentina anserina.
Belongs to the rose family but you would never guess by looking at it.
Foliage is covered in silky white hairs - particularly on the underside.
Has creeping red stolons that can reach out as much as 80 cm from the plant and therefore it can spread through a lawn extremely quickly.
Particularly fond of sandy soil.

7 .

Can you identify this weed that is frequently found in lawns?

Photograph courtesy of Alvesgaspar

Scarlet pimpernel

Silverweed

Plantain

Clover

Latin Name: Anagallis arvensis.
Sometimes called poorman's barometer or poor man's weather-glass on account of the fact that its flowers are open only when the sun is shining.
One of the nicer weeds! It is seldom very troublesome but its brilliant orange flowers can be very noticeable in an immaculately kept lawn.
It is the emblem of a famous fictional character.

8 .

Can you identify this weed that is frequently found in lawns?

Photograph courtesy of www.flickr.com/photos/gmayfield10/

Yarrow

Creeping thistle

Plantain

Wild sorrel

Latin Name: Achillea millefolium.
Known by many different names including nosebleed plant, old man's pepper, devil's nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier's woundwort and thousand-leaf.
Medicinally it can be used to staunch the flow of blood from a wound.
Infested lawns can have a mass of very low-growing fern like plants that co-exist happily alongside the grasses.

9 .

Can you identify this weed that is frequently found in lawns?

Photograph courtesy of Beeblebrox at Wikipedia

Dandelion

Daisy

Wild sorrel

Clover

Latin Name: Taraxacum officinale.
Yellow flower heads change into silver balls of seed that fly off in the wind.
All parts can be eaten by humans and they are much loved by pet rabbits and guinea pigs.
Milky sap oozes out if you break a stem.

10 .

Can you identify this weed that is frequently found in lawns?

Photograph courtesy of www.geograph.org.uk/profile/67051

Dandelion

Yarrow

Silverweed

Creeping thistle

Latin Name: Cirsium arvense.
Flowering heads are much loved by finches, linnets and many species of butterfly but it is best NOT to grow them in your lawn!
Has spiny leaves that are a menace in lawns used for recreation.
The fast-growing underground root system can be difficult to kill once established so early eradication is important.

Author: Colin King

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