Beautiful Wildflower or Troublesome Weed?

In our gardens, as is in our lives, the decision of beautiful wildflower or troublesome weed depends on the gardener's desires. Some gardeners find value in what others call a weed. It is important to decide quickly and act early if a weed needs to be removed. Below is a table gathered from Common Garden Weed Identification: Pictures & Descriptions | The Old Farmer's Almanac to help make decisions about common North American weeds.

	Picture	Type	Period	Risk	Poisonous?	Remove
Dandelion		Troublesome	Spring	Challenge to remove as they have very long tap roots.	No, you can eat the leaves and the flower. Some fry the flowers and even use it to make wine.	Weed when the plant is young by loosening the soil around the very deep tap root.
Bindweed		Noxious	Spring	Fast growing through the roots of other plants.	YES, all parts of the bindweed are poisonous.	Carefully hand pull or fork before plant's flowering. Each part of the root left behind will grow into another plant.
Canada Thistle		Noxious	Spring	Reduces foraging areas in a pasture.	No, remove all bristles and spines before consuming.	Pull or hoe early as the root system can grow 6 to 15 feet deep and up to 15 feet wide.
Crabgrass		Troublesome	Spring to First Frost	Can grow up to 2 feet tall. Seeds last on the ground for 3 years.	No	Weed early and keep grass trimmed at 2-4 inches.
Purslane		Troublesome	Spring to First Frost	Produces 2,000,000 seeds. Able to regrow from leaves left behind.	No, eat when it is young. This plant is packed with vitamins.	Weed early and destroy every part of the plant as every part can grow more plants.
Pigweed		Troublesome	Spring and Summer	Competes with other plants for water and sunlight.	No, eat leaves raw in a salad or cooked.	Pull out by root before flowering.
Buckhorn Plantain		Noxious	Spring and Summer	Drought tolerant and low growing reducing forage areas.	No, can be enjoyed raw or cooked.	Pull when young and ensure to pull the full and long tap root.
Indian Mallow		Troublesome	Spring and Summer	Reduces foraging areas in a pasture and prevents grass growth.	No, the flowers can be eaten raw or cooked and become sweeter as they mature.	Weed early and destroy every part of the plant as every part can grow more plants.
Lambsquarters Weed		Troublesome	Summer	Fast growing leaves become large, blocking sun for other plants. The plant spreads quickly and removes water from the soil just as fast.	No, eat the leaves and shoots. This plant is packed with nutrients.	Cultivate with a sharp hoe.
Chickweed		Troublesome	Winter	One plant can produce 800 seeds that take more than 8 years remove.	No, you can eat it raw or cooked like spinach.	Weed early before the flowers bloom.

The key to deciding how your garden, field, or acreage will grow is dependent on being educated. Know what you have. Know what you want. And be willing to remove anything that is causing your success to be at risk. You decide if you have a beautiful wildflower (contributing to your success) or if you have a troublesome weed (that needs to be removed).

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