Winter Annual Weeds

Four types of broadleaf weeds exist: 1) perennial (those living more than two years), biennial (those living two years), 3) summer annuals (those germinating in the spring and dying in the fall), and 4) winter annuals (those germinating in the fall and surviving the winter and dying the following spring). Since many of these winter annual weeds are now germinated, I thought it might be a useful exercise to review their identification. Below is one picture of various winter annual broadleaf weeds. Be on the lookout for these this fall and next spring.

Annual bluegrass

Catchweed bedstraw

Common chickweed

Corn Speedwell

Henbit

Prickly lettuce

Purple deadnettle

Sheperd’s purse

Aaron Patton, Turfgrass Extension Specialist