A very important part of gardening is weeding. Without regular weeding (at least weekly in warm weather) the weeds are quick to overgrow and choke out native and butterfly-friendly plants.
This page showcases some of the common weeds found in the garden! We hope that with your help they'll become less common.
Is there a technique to weeding?
There is! If you pull up the weed and leave it on the ground in the garden, it can easily regrow.
The best way to weed is to pull up as much of the weed and its root system as possible and throw it away in a shaded portion of the nearby woods, far away from the garden.
The right tools for the job makes weeding much easier - a digging tool like a trowel or a weeding tool like a weeding fork makes removing the tenacious weeds a breeze. Instead of making many trips to toss handfuls of weeds away, use a bucket to collect a bunch at once. Gloves protect your hands from prickles and splinters.
What if I'm not sure it's a weed?
If you're not 100% certain it's a weed, leave it alone! It's better to leave it and have someone else identify and remove it later, then to accidentally remove a growing pollinator-friendly plant.
Bermuda Grass
Cynodon dactylon, also more aptly known as devil's grass, is an introduced species that works well for lawns but wreaks havoc on the garden. It is especially hard to remove because of its extensive root (reaching far and deep underground) and runner (over-land stems that send down new roots) system.
Pull out as much of the plant as you can and mulch over anything you can't get!
Ragweed
Ambrosia species like the common ragweed Ambrosia artemisiifolia are native to the Americas but can still be a weed in the gardens. Tall and fast-growing, they block sunlight from reaching short and slower-growing plants.
Uproot ragweed when planting seeds and seedlings in the garden, and when they are competing with other plants for space!
Chocolate Mint
Mentha × piperita, this mint smells great but also threatens to take over the garden if left unchecked. Non-native and invasive, it spreads vigorously through runners and a deep root system.
Pull up as much as you can, roots and all, and mulch over the remains.
Toothed Spurge
Euphorbia dentata, this unassuming native plant has irritating milky sap. Don't confuse it with the milkweeds the monarch butterflies need!
Uproot toothed spurge to keep it from competing with flowering plants. Be careful when handling it so the sap doesn't get on your skin.
Chinese Tallow
Triadica sebifera is native to Asia. A popular ornamental and honey plant for bees, it is also highly invasive and poisonous. It spreads by root sprouts and cuttings and produces thousands of seeds annually. It features on Texas' list of noxious weeds.
Uproot Chinese tallow, roots and all, amd mulch over the remains.
This page doesn't have all the weedy species listed yet - if we're missing something that people should be on the look-out for, send us a message so we can add it to this page!