Dandelions, crabgrass, and clover — these common Michigan weeds can quickly turn your beautiful lawn into a gardener’s nightmare.
Identifying and managing these pesky invaders can be challenging. This guide will help you understand the common weeds in Michigan and their characteristics. We’ll also break them down by type — grassy, flowering, and broadleaf — so you can quickly find what you’re dealing with.
Common Grassy Weeds in Michigan
Annual Bluegrass
Annual bluegrass (Poa annua) is a very adaptable and common weed. It can grow in various conditions, whether you mow your lawn high or low, and it spreads easily. This weed is tricky because it can look different in different places.
To remove this weed from your yard, explore a few different ways to get rid of annual bluegrass.
Life Cycle: Winter annual
Where It Thrives: Lawns, golf courses, sports fields, and almost any turfgrass area
Bermudagrass
Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) is a warm-season grass that often becomes a pesky weed in lawns. It spreads by stolons and rhizomes (above- and below-ground stems) and can be particularly aggressive in areas with higher soil temperatures.
Although it’s a turfgrass, its invasive nature makes it a troublesome weed for many homeowners.
Note: Bermudagrass can survive Michigan winters, even though it’s not widely considered cold-tolerant.
Life Cycle: Perennial
Where It Thrives: Warm areas, particularly where soil temperatures are elevated
Interested in learning more about Bermudagrass and its management? Check out these articles:
Smooth Crabgrass
Smooth crabgrass (Digitaria ischaemum) is the most common summer annual grass problem in Michigan lawns. It’s estimated that 90% of the crabgrass in Michigan is smooth crabgrass. This weed has a light green appearance and can be identified by its swollen, zig-zag nodes.
Getting rid of crabgrass in your yard can be challenging but manageable with the right approach.
Life Cycle: Annual
Where It Thrives: Lawns, especially in areas with elevated soil temperatures or grub damage from the previous year
Quackgrass
Quackgrass (Elytrigia repens) is a pesky weed that pops up in lawns and gardens. It’s easy to spot because it has a dull blue-green color and spreads through underground stems called rhizomes.
Life Cycle: Perennial
Where It Thrives: Lawns, particularly in areas with unscreened topsoil
Learn how to get rid of quackgrass in this article.
Goosegrass
Goosegrass (Elusine indica) is a tough summer weed that thrives in high-traffic areas. It germinates about two weeks after smooth crabgrass and can handle heavy traffic, dry soil, and low mowing heights.
Life Cycle: Annual
Where It Thrives: Lawns with heavy traffic and compacted, dry soils
Learn ways to prevent or get rid of goosegrass in our guide.
Common Flowering Weeds in Michigan
Dandelion
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is probably the most recognizable and common weed in lawns. It has bright yellow flowers and fluffy white seed heads that kids love to blow on. This weed grows almost anywhere and can spread quickly.
Note: Dandelion seeds float away in the wind, making them hard to get rid of. Learn how to deal with these weeds in our guide: “How to Get Rid of Dandelions.”
Life Cycle: Perennial
Where It Thrives: Just about anywhere, in all kinds of soil
Canada Thistle
Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) is a pesky weed that grows in patches and can reach 1 to 3 feet high. It has a deep, creeping root system that makes it tough to get rid of.
Life Cycle: Perennial
Where It Thrives: Low maintenance areas like pastures, fields, and roadsides
Use pre-emergent herbicides and mow regularly to get rid of Canada thistle.
Purple Deadnettle
Purple deadnettle (Lamium purpureum) is a common weed that often invades vacant fields, landscape borders, and disturbed lawns. Its leaves can range from dark green to purple, and it’s one of the first plants to flower after the snow melts in spring.
Life Cycle: Annual
Where It Thrives: Thin or bare areas in lawns, landscape borders, and compost piles
Mow, hand-pull, or apply pre- or post-emergent herbicides to get rid of deadnettle.
Chicory
Chicory (Cichorium intybus) is a common weed you often see along Michigan roadsides. It’s especially noticeable in late summer with its bright blue flowers. It’s tough and can grow in dry, poor soil.
Life Cycle: Perennial
Where It Thrives: Dry, poor soil along roadsides and in waste areas
Heal All
Heal all (Prunella vulgaris) is a low-growing, spreading weed from the mint family. It has unique puckered leaves and small purple flowers that bloom in early summer.
Life Cycle: Perennial
Where It Thrives: Shady, moist, and well-fertilized areas
Henbit
Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) is a winter weed that likes to grow in new or thin lawns, especially where the soil is rich in nutrients. It’s most noticeable in its first year but usually disappears as your lawn gets thicker.
Life Cycle: Annual
Where It Thrives: New lawns and thin, nutrient-rich areas
Cultivate a dense lawn to get rid of henbit.
Orange Hawkweed
Orange hawkweed (Hieracium aurantiacum) is a tough weed found in low-maintenance areas like roadsides and lawns. It often grows where the soil isn’t very fertile or is a bit acidic.
Life Cycle: Perennial
Where It Thrives: Lawns, roadsides, and places with poor soil or acidic conditions
Dig up the plants or use post-emergent herbicides to get rid of orange hawkweed.
Common Broadleaf Weeds in Michigan
Broadleaf Plantain
Broadleaf plantain (Plantago major) is a very common broadleaf weed in lawns, second only to dandelions. It can grow almost anywhere, whether the soil is dry or wet, and even survive low mowing heights.
Life Cycle: Perennial
Where It Thrives: Lawns, roadsides, pastures, and areas with heavy, compacted soils
Hand-pull, spot-spray, and keep a healthy lawn to get rid of broadleaf plantain.
Buckhorn Plantain
Buckhorn plantain (Plantago lanceolata) is a weed with long, narrow leaves that form a rosette. It can grow in many different conditions, even if the soil is compacted or has a high pH.
Life Cycle: Perennial
Where It Thrives: Lawns, meadows, and areas with compacted or high pH soil
Get rid of buckhorn plantain by using a weed-puller or spraying with post-emergent herbicides.
Common Chickweed
Common chickweed (Stellaria media) is a weed that often grows in the mulch around shade trees. It prefers shady, moist areas and forms small mounds around 3 to 7 inches tall. It produces small white-to-pink flowers in early spring.
Life Cycle: Annual
Where It Thrives: Shady, moist areas like the mulch around trees
Spray small seedlings to get rid of chickweed in the lawn, or apply pre-emergents before they sprout. Hand-pulling is also effective.
Curly Dock
Curly dock (Rumex crispus) is a weed with long roots that grow in a circle shape. Its leaves are 6 to 8 inches long and have wavy edges that make them look curly, like lettuce.
Life Cycle: Perennial
Where It Thrives: Low-maintenance areas like roadside ditches and wet, nutrient-rich soils
Redroot Pigweed
Redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus) is a summer annual weed often found in new lawns or disturbed soil areas like gardens. It’s known for causing late summer allergies and is a prolific seeder.
Life Cycle: Annual
Where It Thrives: New lawns and disturbed soil areas
Clover
Clover (Trifolium spp.) is a common weed in Michigan lawns, especially in lawns with nutrient deficiencies. It’s easily recognizable by its trifoliate (three-part) leaves and white or pink flowers.
Note: Clover can fix nitrogen in the soil, which can benefit the grass.
Life Cycle: Perennial
Where It Thrives: Lawns with poor soil fertility
Considering adding clover to your lawn? Learn more in these articles:
If a clover lawn isn’t your style, check out our article: “How to Get Rid of Clover and Not Kill Grass.”
FAQ About Common Weeds in Michigan
What are some effective methods for controlling weeds in my yard?
There are several ways to tackle those pesky weeds. You can pull them out by hand, mow your lawn regularly, or use herbicides. For a full guide on the best methods, check out this article: “Guide to Weed Control in Your Yard.”
Can weeds be beneficial in any way?
Yes, some weeds can be beneficial. For example, dandelions have edible leaves and flowers that are full of vitamins (read more in: “How Dandelions Benefit You and Your Yard”).
Weeds can also help improve soil health by adding organic matter and providing habitats for helpful insects. However, in your lawn, it’s usually best to control weeds to keep your grass healthy and looking nice.
Why is it important to remove weeds before they set seed?
It’s crucial to remove weeds before they set seed because it stops them from spreading more seeds. For example, one dandelion can produce up to 15,000 seeds. Removing weeds early reduces the number of seeds in the soil and makes it easier to manage them in the long run.
What are some effective non-chemical weed control methods?
There are several ways to control weeds without using chemicals:
- Manual removal: Hand-pulling or digging weeds works well, especially for weeds with shallow roots.
- Mowing: Regular mowing can keep weeds from spreading.
- Mulching: Mulch blocks sunlight, which helps prevent weed growth.
- Attention to soil health: Proper fertilization and watering keep your lawn healthy, making it harder for weeds to take over.
For more tips and tricks on natural weed control, check out this guide to organic herbicides.
Hire a Local Lawn Pro
If you’re struggling with persistent weeds or simply want to ensure your lawn stays lush and healthy, it might be time to call in the experts. Contact a local lawn treatment professional for specialized lawn treatment help. They’ll help you tackle those tough weeds and keep your yard looking its best all year round.
Main Photo Credit: Geo Lightspeed7 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
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