Sticky Weed Identification - Worst Weed Ever (well, almost)

[Nifty]

We've got some REALLY sticky weeds growing in our yard and would love to know what they are.

Here are some pics. We don't know if the two weeds are related.

This one is from last season. The super velcro seeds are tiny... about 1/8 inch in diameter (super tiny).

Here is the one that is growing this season... again, not sure if they are related. The leaves are super sticky (not sappy sticky, but velcro / stickery sticky):

Any ideas what these are?

 

[Reinbeau]

It's bedstraw, Galium aparine. Tough to get rid of!

 

[Nifty]

Ugh... Ann, you are correct and it looks like it is all the same plant.

Well, there is some good news in this because we know what it is and that we need to get rid of it. The bad news is it is now ALL OVER parts of the yard.

I'm going after it with a vengeance now... sprays, pulling, whatever! An all out attack to make sure our poor kids aren't stuck with these all over their clothes like last summer / fall!

This plant is bad news. We've never seen it before a couple years ago, so I'm wondering if it caught a ride with a bunch of free mulch we got from someone on craigslist.

What's odd is that we don't remember the leaves being stickery when dry... just the seeds / "fruit".

Here are some more links for my reference and for my friends and family that I'm going to send to look at this!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goosegrass

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=GAAP2

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=GAAP2

http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/species/gaap2.htm

 

[Nifty]

Looks like the Galium aparine / Goosegrass spreads by seed only, so if we can keep active on the new plants this year maybe we can head it off.


Hey Ann, you did such a great job on the last one, can you lend your eye on this beast? I'm thinking some kind of thistle?

 

[Reinbeau]

Oh yea, that's a nasty one, too, what did you do, corner the market on noxious weeds? It could be Cirsium vulgare, can't really tell without seeing the flowers. Bees love them, but they hurt if you step on them. Don't let them go to seed, you'll have a million more! I actually like the flowers, but I chop them down long before they even think of setting seed and dig them out by the roots. I never use chemicals here, hand digging is the preferred weed remove method here, and it can get tough when you're dealing with weeds like that!

Last year I let a burdock grow in the backyard. It was very pretty, actually, before it bloomed, almost architectural. Once it bloomed I cut it down to the ground. Never got around to digging it last year, I'm going to try to get it out this year - I hear the root is delish if harvested in early spring.

Even though they're weeds, I still find them fascinating!

 

[Nifty]

Yeah, these two are pretty nasty. They make our burr clover look like puppies and rainbows!

That Cirsium is a nasty one that has been around the property for quite a while, but fortunately the wild oats usually keep it down (suffocate?). It only is springing up where we've kept the wild oats down.

I see that it spreads by rhizomes below the surface, which explains why when I pulled one out the other day it had a long root that shot to another root ball that I'm sure was anxious to pop out of the ground.

We're not terribly adverse to spraying... especially in cases like this. Will the RoundUps of the world kill the rhizomes underground?

 

[Reinbeau]

Yes, Roundup will kill it. Make sure you get each rosette. Be careful with that stuff, they try to make it out to be so benign, but it isn't.

 

[Nifty]

Ya, we'd rather pull where possible, but there are some situations where we need to pull in the big guns and take our chances.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Ya, we'd rather pull where possible, but there are some situations where we need to pull in the big guns and take our chances.

Pulling works great for some weeds but, I like you prefer to get the "big gun" out when it something nasty. DH's family let the nettles and thistles go around here. I have them under control but, I'm not sure they will ever be gone. Some of that stuff the seeds can remain dormant for decades or more.

 

[daisychick]

Looks like the Galium aparine / Goosegrass spreads by seed only, so if we can keep active on the new plants this year maybe we can head it off.


Hey Ann, you did such a great job on the last one, can you lend your eye on this beast? I'm thinking some kind of thistle?

http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/uploads/2_sticky-weeds4.jpg

I have that all over my flower beds! It is terrible to get rid of. Even if you pull it it comes back. I have found that if you leave even a tiny bit of the leaves they seem to start new growths. The roots go on forever too. I have tried Round-up for 2 years straight and it is still here. GOOD LUCK! And if you find a way to get rid of it please pass it on to me! It really hurts if the spikes get your fingers or your toes (flip-flop girl here )