MSU IPM Program - Identifying weeds in field crops

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Identifying weeds in field crops

The information presented here about field crop weeds was developed from the publication An IPM Pocket Guide for Weed Identification in Field Crops by Wesley Everman, Christy Sprague, Steven Gower and Robert Richardson. Purchase this in a pocket-sized guide for reference from MSU Extension (publication E-3081). Download Adobe Acrobat Reader to view pdf files.

For reference:

Identify weeds by:

Identifying characteristics
Common name
Scientific name

Funding to place the guide information on this website was provided by:
The North Central IPM Center

Identifying characteristics
Ligule type
Absent Barnyardgrass	Membranous Annual bluegrass Common windgrass Johnsongrass Large crabgrass Quackgrass Shattercane Smooth crabgrass	Hairy Cheat Downy brome Fall panicum Field sandbur Giant foxtail and Green foxtail
Cotyledon shape
Kidney Entireleaf morningglory Field bindweed Hedge bindweed Ivyleaf morningglory Pitted morningglory Tall morningglory Wild mustard	Linear Buckhorn plantain Common chickweed Common lambsquarters Common yarrow Mouseear chickweed Poison hemlock Powell amaranth Prostrate pigweed Redroot pigweed Smooth pigweed Tumble pigweed Vetches Wild carrot	Lance-shaped Common cocklebur
Oblong Broadleaf dock Common purslane Curly dock Jimsonweed Kochia Ladysthumb Mile-a-minute Pale smartweed Pennsylvania smartweed Swamp smartweed Tartary buckwheat Wild buckwheat	Oval Birdsfoot trefoil Common burdock Common groundsel Common mullein Common ragweed Giant ragweed Hemp dogbane Horseweed Marestail Pokeweed Prostrate spurge Spotted spurge Spreading dogbane Virginia pepperweed Western ragweed	Egg-shaped Common waterhemp Corn speedwell Eastern black nightshade Hairy nightshade Purslane speedwell Slender speedwell
Round Common mallow Hairy galinsoga Henbit Hoary alyssum Prickly sida Purple deadnettle Velvetleaf Venice mallow White campion Yellow rocket	Spatula-shaped Blackseed plantain Broadleaf plantain Bull thistle Canada thistle Carpetweed Common milkweed Dandelion Red clover White clover
Leaf margins
Smooth Birdsfoot trefoil Blackseed plantain Broadleaf plantain Buckhorn plantain Carpetweed Common chickweed Common milkweed Common mullein Common purslane Common waterhemp Field bindweed Hedge bindweed Hemp dogbane Hoary alyssum Kochia Ladysthumb Mile-a-minute Mouseear chickweed Pale smartweed Pennsylvania smartweed Pokeweed Powell amaranth Prostrate pigweed Prostrate spurge Redroot pigweed Smooth pigweed Spotted spurge Spreading dogbane Swamp smartweed Tartary buckwheat Vetches White campion Wild buckwheat	Lobed Annual sowthistle Bull thistle Canada thistle Entireleaf morningglory Horsenettle Ivyleaf morningglory Perennial sowthistle Pitted morningglory Prickly lettuce Spiny sowthistle Tall morningglory Virginia pepperweed Yellow rocket	Serrated or toothed Annual sowthistle Black medic Common blue violet Common cocklebur Common eveningprimrose Common groundsel Common lambsquarters Common mallow Corn speedwell Cutleaf eveningprimrose Dandelion Eastern black nightshade Field pennycress Field violet Hairy galinsoga Hairy nightshade Henbit Horseweed Jimsonweed Marestail Perennial sowthistle Prickly lettuce Prickly sida Purple deadnettle Purslane speedwell Red clover Shepherd's purse Smooth groundcherry Slender speedwell Spiny sowthistle Velvetleaf Venice mallow White clover Wild mustard
Dissected or divided Common ragweed Giant ragweed Western ragweed Wild carrot	Wavy Broadleaf dock Common burdock Curly dock Tumble pigweed
Common name
Annual bluegrass Annual sowthistle Asiatic (common) dayflower Barnyardgrass Birdsfoot trefoil Black medic Blackseed plantain Broadleaf dock Broadleaf plantain Buckhorn plantain Bull thistle Canada thistle Carpetweed Cheat Common blue violet Common burdock Common chickweed Common cocklebur Common eveningprimrose Common groundsel Common lambsquarters Common mallow Common milkweed Common mullein Common purslane Common ragweed Common waterhemp Common windgrass Common yarrow Corn speedwell Curly dock Cutleaf eveningprimrose Dandelion Downy brome Eastern black nightshade Entireleaf morningglory	Fall panicum Field bindweed Field horsetail Field pennycress Field sandbur Field violet Giant foxtail Giant ragweed Green foxtail Hairy galinsoga Hairy nightshade Hedge bindweed Hemp dogbane Henbit Hoary alyssum Horsenettle Horseweed Ivyleaf morningglory Jimsonweed Johnsongrass Kochia Ladysthumb Large crabgrass Marestail Mile-a-minute Mouseear chickweed Pale smartweed Pennsylvania smartweed Perennial sowthistle Pitted morningglory Poison hemlock Pokeweed Powell amaranth Prickly lettuce Prickly sida Prostrate pigweed	Prostrate spurge Purple deadnettle Purslane speedwell Quackgrass Red clover Redroot pigweed Scouringrush Shattercane Shepherd's purse Slender speedwell Smooth crabgrass Smooth groundcherry Smooth pigweed Spiny sowthistle Spotted spurge Spreading dogbane Swamp smartweed Tall morningglory Tartary buckwheat Tumble pigweed Velvetleaf Venice mallow Vetches Virginia pepperweed Western ragweed White campion White clover Wild buckwheat Wild carrot Wild garlic Wild mustard Wild onion Yellow foxtail Yellow nutsedge Yellow rocket
Scientific name
Abutilon theophrasti Medicus Achillea millefolium L. Allium canadense L. Allium vineale L. Amaranthus albus L. Amaranthus blitoides S. Wats. Amaranthus hybridus L. Amaranthus powellii S. Wats. Amaranthus retroflexus L. Amaranthus rudis L. Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. Ambrosia psilostachya DC. Ambrosia trifida L. Apera spica-venti L. Apocynum androsaemifolium L. Apocynum cannabinum L. Arctium minus (Hill) Bernh. Asclepias syriaca L. Barbarea vulgaris R. Br. Berteroa incana (L.) DC. Bromus secalinus L. Bromus tectorum L. Calystegia sepium (L.) R. Br. Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medicus Cenchrus incertus M.A. Curtis Cerastum fontanum ssp. vulgare (Hartman) Greuter & Burdet Chamaesyce humistrata (Engelm. ex Gray) Small Chamaesyce maculata (L.) Small Chenopodium album L. Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Tenore Commelina communis L. Conium maculatum L. Convolvulus arvensis L. Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronq.	Cyperus esculentus L. Datura stramonium L. Daucus carota L. Digitaria ischaemum (Schreb.) Schreb. ex Muhl. Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop. Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv. Elymus repens (L.) Gould Equisetum arvense L. Equisetum hyemale L. Fagopyrum tatricum (L.) Gaertn. Galinsoga quadriradiata Cav. Hibiscus trionum L. Ipomoea hederacea L. Jacq. Ipomoea hederacea var. integriuscula Gray Ipomoea lacunosa L. Ipomoea purpurea (L.) Roth Kochia scoparia L. Lactuca serriola L. Lamium amplexicaule L. Lamium purpureum L. Lepidium virginicum L. Lotus corniculatus L. Malva neglecta Wallr. Medicago lupulina L. Mollugo verticillata L. Oenothera biennis L. Oenothera laciniata Hill Panicum dichotomiflorum Michx. Physalis longifolia Nutt. var. subglabrata (Mackenzie & Bush) Cronq. Phytolacca americana L. Plantago lanceolata L. Plantago major L. Plantago rugelii Dcne. Poa annual L.	Polygonum amphibium var. emersum Michx. Polygonum convolvulus L. Polygonum lapathifolium L. Polygonum pensylvanicum L. Polygonum perfoliatum L. Polygonum persicaria L. Portulaca oleracea L. Rumex crispus L. Rumex obtusifolius L. Senecio vulgaris L. Setaria faberi Herrm. Setaria glauca (L.) Beauv. Setaria viridis L. Sida spinosa L. Silene latifolia Poir. Sinapis arvensis L. Solanum carolinense L. Solanum ptycanthum Dun. Solanum sarrachoides Sendtner Sonchus asper (L.) Hill. Sonchus arvensis L. Sonchus oleraceus L. Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. Stellaria media L. Vill. Taraxacum officinale Weber in Wiggers Thlaspi arvense L. Trifolium pratense L. Trifolium repens L. Verbascum thapsus L. Veronica arvensis L. Veronica filiformis Sm. Vicia spp. Viola arvensis Murr. Viola papilionacea Pursh Xanthium strumarium L.

The MSU IPM Program maintains this site as an access point to pest management information at MSU. The IPM Program is administered within the Department of Entomology, fueled by research from the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, delivered to citizens through MSU Extension, and proud to be a part of Project GREEEN.
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08/05/10