Of all the different types of weeds, flowering weeds are sometimes the most pleasant to find in your garden.
But if they’re growing where they’re not wanted, they’re still weeds. And you’ll probably want to remove them.
But before you start, identification is important. Why?
Because then you can use the right method for successfully getting rid of the weeds before they spread.
So in this list, I’ll show you some of the most common types of flowering weeds and help you identify them.
Let’s dive in!
Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule)
This winter annual weed produces reddish-purple flowers in the spring. With the flowers that grow in the upper leaves appearing in a whorl.
The weed has a square stem and usually grows up to 12-inches tall. The leaves grow opposite each other around the stem, and have scalloped edges and prominent veins on the undersides.
It’s rare to find henbit in healthy lawns. It likes to invade areas of thin and patchy turf. Especially in shady areas with moist soil. So good lawn care practices can keep this weed out. And if it’s already growing, it’s easy to take care of with a post-emergent herbicide.
For more common weeds with purple flowers that you might see in your yard check out our guide.
Dandelions (Taraxacum)
Dandelions are one of the most recognizable flowering weeds. You’ll often notice dandelion weeds growing on your lawn when they bloom in the spring, producing their distinctive yellow flowerheads. The flower eventually gives way to a fluffy seed head with the seeds dispersed by the wind.
Cutting them down before the seed head appears helps to stop dandelions from spreading around your yard. But getting rid of dandelion weeds can be tricky. They have a thick taproot that grows deep into the soil. And to stop this flowering weed from growing back the taproot will have to be fully removed or killed.
Speedwell (Veronica)
Also called Veronica, speedwell is a common flowering weed. It stands out due to its numerous small flowers that can be blue, white, pink, or purple depending on the variety. The weed also has many small lobed leaves with scalloped edges that grow in pairs.
If left unchecked, speedwell can quickly get out of hand, taking over your lawn. Keeping a healthy lawn can stop the spread of speedwell. And chopping the heads off the flowers before they bloom also helps with control. If necessary, you can use pre-emergent herbicides in the spring to prevent seed germination.
Wild Roses (Rosa sp.)
You can find wild roses growing throughout North America. These pretty weeds with pink flowers spread easily, and you’ll see them in woodlands, pastures, and meadows, as well as your yard. Wild roses bloom between May and August, depending on the species. They produce flowers with 5 petals that can be white as well as pink.
Some people like wild roses for the attractive wildflower they undoubtedly are. But other people consider them weeds. If you choose to plant them in your garden you need to take care of them because containment can be difficult and they can quickly take over an area.
Red Sorrel (Rumex acetosella)
Red sorrel by docentjoyce
Red sorrel is a perennial broadleaf weed. It features distinctive spikes of flowers: red flowers on female plants and yellow-green flowers on male plants. Slender stalks grow up to 6-inches long, with the flowers growing at the top.
This flowering weed spreads through rhizomes. And it thrives in dry soil and partial to full sunlight. If red sorrel starts to take over an area it’s a good idea to check the soil pH as it loves to grow in acidic conditions. You can then make the adjustments necessary to encourage desirable plants to grow.
Check out more weeds with red flowers.
Orange Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis)
Orange jewelweed is a summer annual weed that’s native to North America. It’s common to see orange jewelweed growing in ditches, bottomland soils, and wetlands, as well as alongside creeks.
The plant produces clusters of 1-3 orange flowers that grow from the leaf axils of the upper leaves. The leaves are thin-textured, ovate, and hairless. And they grow alternately on slender petioles from round, succulent, pale-green stems.
When the plant is bathed in sunlight, the orange flowers glisten. Giving rise to the name Jewelweed.
The weed grows from 2-5 feet tall. And it has a shallow root system, so you can easily remove it by hand pulling. Just make sure you get rid of all of the roots to prevent the plant from regrowing.
Check out our guide for more weeds with orange flowers.
Field Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis)
Field bindweed is a perennial broadleaf weed that’s sometimes called morning glory because of the similarity of its bell-shaped, white flowers.
Field bindweed is a viney weed. The vines grow along the ground and climb over walls and trees. You’ll often find it growing alongside fields and roads. But field bindweed spreads through seeds and roots and will often invade your yard if it’s growing nearby.
Once established, it’s difficult to remove this weed. The root system extends 30 feet deep. Repeated cutting at ground level can exhaust the plant over time. You can also try using a systemic herbicide.
Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia)
Also called moneywort, creeping jenny is a tenacious weed. It spreads along the ground by creeping stems known as stolons. Strangling and crowding out plants that get in its way.
The stolons root where the nodes touch the ground. And the weed also spreads by seed. And it can be difficult to get rid of once it becomes established.
In the summer, creeping jenny is a flowering weed. Producing small yellow flowers. And you can also identify this weed by its bright green leaves. The leaves are scalloped edged and round or kidney-shaped.
Creeping jenny likes to grow in moist and shady areas, So you can control this weed by changing the conditions. Water less frequently. And prune back trees and hedges to allow more light to reach the ground.
Creeping jenny has deep roots, so it’s a hard weed to get rid of. But repeated pulling of the plant before it flowers eventually exhausts the roots. You can also repeatedly apply chemical herbicides to kill the roots.
Purple Leaf Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica ‘Purpurea’)
Purple leaf Japanese honeysuckle is a sprawling vine that grows fast. It quickly covers outbuildings, walls, and other obstacles that get in its way. The weed also forms a thick ground cover when unsupported.
The twining stems have dark green leaves that are tinged with purple. It blooms from spring through to late summer, producing fragrant purple-red flowers with white interiors. The flowers eventually give way to purple-black berries.
You can control this flowering weed using systemic weed killers.
Japanese Knotweed (Reynoutria japonica)
Japanese knotweed is a perennial broadleaf weed. Usually, the weed flowers between late summer and early autumn. Producing creamy white flowers that grow in branched clusters up to 4-inches long.
The weed spreads through underground rhizomes. And each plant sends up many bamboo-like stems in an area. The stems grow up to 10 ft. tall and overcrowd and displace the plants that were growing in the area.
Japanese knotweed has a reputation as a tenacious weed that’s very hard to control. And it often requires professional help to completely eradicate this weed from an area.
Jimson Weed (Datura stramonium)
Jimson Weed is also known as devil’s snare and thorn apple. This is a prickly flowering weed that you probably don’t want growing in your yard. The weed produces white or violet trumpet-shaped flowers that bloom from the summer up until the first frost. But it’s the poisonous nature of this nasty weed that has made it notorious.
Jimson weed produces a large fruit in a spiky capsule. But it’s toxic to eat. And even touching the weed causes some people to break out in a rash.
The flowers look beautiful. But if you have children it’s safer to remove this dangerous weed from your yard.
Oxalis (Oxalis corniculata)
It’s easy to mistake oxalis leaves for clover. The light green leaves each consist of 3 or 4 leaflets. But you can identify this weed by its small, cup-shaped yellow flowers that appear in the summer and fall.
Oxalis grows in both sunny and shady areas of your garden. And you can use mulch in the spring to prevent the weed from becoming established. To get rid of weeds that are already growing, you can pull oxalis by hand. Or use a broadleaf herbicide.
White Clover ( Trifolium repens)
It’s common to find white clover growing in your garden. You can identify this broadleaf weed by its white flowers. Each flower consists of tear-shaped leaflets clustered around a green center.
Clover is a low-growing plant, typically reaching up to 3-inches tall. As the weed creeps across your lawn, it develops roots from every stem node that contacts the soil.
Because clover spreads quickly, it’s best to deal with it as soon as you find it. You can pull clover by hand or use broadleaf herbicides.
Wild Violets (Viola sororia)
Wild violets are common garden weeds that bloom between April and June, producing pretty purple-blue flowers. Although some people consider them attractive wildflowers, they quickly spread through your grass and take over if you leave them.
Wild violets are difficult to control. And you’ll often need to use multiple applications of broadleaf weed killer. Applying the herbicide in spring will take care of the first violets that emerge. But more plants will sprout from the rhizomes up until early fall. So more applications are usually necessary to control this weed.
Goldenrod (Solidago sp.)
Some people view goldenrod as an attractive wildflower. While others consider it an invasive weed. In the US you can find between 60-70 species of goldenrod. This flowering weed is often seen in meadows, fields, woodland, and alongside roads.
You can recognize goldenrod by its yellow plume of fluffy flowers that appear when the weed blooms during late summer and throughout the fall.
Black Nightshade (Solanum nigrum)
Black nightshade is a broadleaf annual weed with small white flowers that grow in clusters. Leaves grow alternately from the stems on short stalks.
This is a weed with juicy black berries, but make sure you don’t eat them as all parts of black nightshade are poisonous.
You’ll often find black nightshade growing in areas of rich soil. Which might include your lawn and garden. But you’re also likely to see it along roadsides and river banks, as well as areas where the soil is disturbed such as cultivated land.
Common Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis)
Common evening primrose is a biennial flowering weed. In the first year, the plant forms a rosette of leaves. And in the second year, it sends up a long stem with large alternate leaves and a panicle of pale yellow flowers at the top.
This flowering weed blooms from mid-summer to the fall. The flowers open from evening to early morning. But sometimes stay open on cloudy days as well.
The stem grows to 7 feet tall and is covered with fine hairs. And can be either light green or red.
Daisy Weeds (Bellis perennis)
Daisies are common perennial weeds that grow in most temperate regions of the world including across North America.
Daisies bloom in spring, with a distinctive flower that consists of numerous white petals around a yellow center. The plant has spatula-shaped leaves with serrated edges that grow in a rosette.
Daisies are low-growing weeds that spread quickly through rhizomes and seeds. And you’ll often find them growing in patches on your lawn, as well as in fields and parks.
Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota)
This flowering weed is also known as wild carrot and bishop’s lace. It produces clusters of small white flowers that extend from the top of a stiff central stem in an umbrella-like fashion. The plant blooms in the summer and fall.
Queen Anne’s lace is native to Europe and Asia. But it can also be found in temperate regions of North America. The weed grows best in full sun to partial shade. And you’ll find this attractive weed growing in sunny meadows, unused fields, and along roadsides.
This plant is closely related to the cultivated carrot. And you can eat the roots when they’re young. But be careful not to mistake this plant for the deadly poison hemlock that looks very similar. You can tell the difference between them by the fine hairs on the leaves and stems. The stems are also plain green, whereas poison hemlock often has purple mottling on the stems.
Common Chicory (Chicorium intybus)
Common chicory is a perennial herbaceous plant that’s native to Europe but can now be found in North America, Australia, and China where it has become naturalized.
Chicory is a weed with bright blue flowers. The weed blooms from June until the fall, with the first frost usually bringing the flowers to an end. Earlier in the growing season, it develops a rosette of toothed leaves, similar to a dandelion.
Chicory is an edible weed. You can use the leaves in a salad. And you can grind the roots and use them as a coffee substitute.
Common St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum)
Common St. John’s Wort is a weed with yellow flowers. Each flower is star-shaped, with 5 petals that have black dots at the margins. The flowers grow in clusters of between 25-100 at the end of stems. The plant blooms in mid-summer for about a month. Narrow, lance-shaped leaves grow opposite each other along the stems and can reach 1-2 inches in length.
This flowering weed is native to Asia and Europe. But you can now find it growing across North America. It spreads aggressively and can be difficult to get rid of once established. It prefers to grow in sunny locations and mesic to dry soil.
