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Common weeds

Identify common weeds

Knowing about a weed’s habit, biology, persistence & spread will help you to keep on top of it. Here is detailed information on more than 100 individual weeds, from dandelion to creeping buttercup, bindweed and ground elder.

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Type
    • Weed datasheets

    Sticky mouse-ear

    Sticky mouse-ear is native annual or overwintering plant found in open places in natural and artificial habitats. Sticky mouse-ear is common on cultivated ground throughout the UK.

    • Weed datasheets

    Spear-leaved orache

    Spear-leaved orache is a summer annual with a prostrate habit that occurs on most soils. It is found on waste and cultivated land throughout Britain.

    • Weed datasheets

    Smooth sow-thistle

    Smooth sow-thistle is a native annual or overwintering weed common on arable land on most soils throughout the UK. It is also found on wasteland, roadsides and in gardens.

    • Weed datasheets

    Smooth hawk's-beard

    Smooth hawk’s-beard is a common winter or summer annual, native in grassy places, rough and waste ground throughout Britain.

    • Weed datasheets

    Small nettle

    Small nettle is a summer annual found on cultivated ground and waste places, particularly on light soils. The presence of small nettle is considered to be an indication of the need for lime.

    • Weed datasheets

    Shepherd's purse

    Shepherd's purse is a native summer or winter annual to biennial weed common everywhere on cultivated land, waysides and waste places. Shepherd’s purse is a common garden weed.

  1. Scentless mayweed in flower with butterfly
    • Weed datasheets

    Scentless mayweed

    Scentless mayweed is a native annual or biennial weed of arable land and waste ground, common on all lowland soils except chalk.

    • Weed datasheets

    Scented mayweed

    Scented mayweed is a native annual or biennial weed that is locally abundant on sandy or loamy arable soils and waste places throughout England and Wales.

  2. Scarlet pimpernel in flower
    • Weed datasheets

    Scarlet pimpernel

    Scarlet pimpernel is a widely distributed annual or rarely perennial weed that is not recorded above 1,100 ft in Britain. It prefers soils in the pH range 5.5 to 8.0 and is said to be an indicator of loam.

    • Weed datasheets

    Redshank

    Redshank is a native summer annual generally distributed throughout the UK on waste, cultivated and open ground. It occurs on most soils but especially on moist, rich soils and on acid peaty loams.