Teresa Marrone - Common backyard weeds of the upper midwest

Cover, book design and illustrations by Jonathan Norberg

Page layout by Teresa Marrone

Edited by Brett Ortler

Photo credits by photographer and page number:
Cover photos: main photo a Clover; inset photo Groundsel; back cover Ground Ivy

All photos by Teresa Marrone unless noted.
All photos are copyright of their respective photographers.

, Stinkgrass , inset, Steve Matson.

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Copyright 2017 by Teresa Marrone

Published by Adventure Publications

An imprint of AdventureKEEN

820 Cleveland Street South

Cambridge, Minnesota 55008

(800) 678-7006

www.adventurepublications.net

All rights reserved

Printed in China

ISBN: 978-1-59193-732-6; eISBN: 978-1-59193-706-7

INTRODUCTION

Common Backyard Weeds of the Upper Midwest is written primarily for homeowners, not botanists, farmers or turf managers. Thats not to say that botanists, farmers and turf managers wont find it interesting and useful. What it means is that this book approaches weeds from the laypersons perspective rather than from the perspective of someone who deals with plants professionally.

While youll find a few simple technical terms scattered throughout, plant descriptions are written in plain, simple language that is easy to understand, even if you havent studied botany. Many books approach plants using the classic taxonomic organization. With this system, if you want to identify a weed in your yard, you must first identify the family to which it belongs, then determine the genus and finallyif youre luckythe exact species. So if you have a weedy plant with, say, four white petals, you may have to flip through several chapters to find something that resembles your specimen.

This book is organized by the visual characteristics of the plants, starting first with its growth pattern (creeping and low-growing, upright, vining, grassy) and then considering the color of the flower. Although it is a bit non-scientific (and will no doubt drive botanists crazy), thats the most intuitive way for the non-scientist to identify a plant. Looking at the photos in this book and comparing them to your plant, youll find a dozen or more common weeds whose flowers have four white petals, along with text describing some look-alikes. By studying the photos and accompanying text, you should be able to identify your plant (if it is a common weed, that is)or at least learn enough about it to delve deeper with a more comprehensive reference.

Clear photos show the parts or stages of the plant that will help get you on track to identify it. The text gives enough detail to help you learn what characteristics you need to look at for identification, without being bogged down by a lot of technical terms you may have to scramble to decipher.

Because this book is written for homeowners, it does not include crop pests and other agricultural weeds that are unlikely to appear in the yard or garden. Note that a number of agricultural weeds do, indeed, grow in home settings, and many of those are included in this book.

It also does not include aquatic weeds . Some shoreline weeds that appear in damp areas along lakes or rivers may be found in backyards that abut natural areas (or that have, say, a small pond), so a few of these are included; in particular, Purple Loosestrife is featured because it is a highly invasive shoreline plant that should be eradicated wherever it is foundand that might be your backyard, if your property is close to water.

Shrubs and trees are often weedy, but are not included in this book, which concentrates on non-woody plants. Similarly, mushrooms and other non-vascular plants such as moss and lichens are not discussed; those are subjects for a different book. (For shrubs and trees, I might suggest my series of Wild Berries and Fruits Field Guide books, which are available for all states in this region; each book covers three states in our area. For mushrooms, check out Mushrooms of the Upper Midwest , a photographic ID guide I coauthored with fellow mushroom enthusiast Kathy Yerich. See .)

Determine what type of plant your weed is: creeping or low-growing, upright broadleaf, vine, or grass. Go to the start of that category.

Categories except grasses are organized by the color of the flower , in this order: green, white, yellow, orange, pink/red and purple. Find the start of the appropriate color; for example, broadleaf plants with .

Plants with flowers of a similar color are ordered approximately by the season in which the plant flowers , starting with spring. Study the photos and compare them to your plant; if flowers arent present, you may have to go through the entire category.

Also read the COMPARE information for other plants that have similar attributes to the one in the photos.

Some plants are listed as having edible parts. Please read before eating any weeds.

Most people have heard the common saying that a weed is a plant that is growing where it is not wanted. In many cases, that simple truth says it all. Many of the plants in the book are considered wildflowers, and we enjoy seeing plants such as buttercups, violets or daisies growing wild in the woods. When they settle into our gardens and carefully landscaped areas, however, we often consider them weedy and unwanted.

Some native plants, such as , cause misery for humans and are unwelcome even in many wild settings, not to mention in the garden.

All plants in this book are identified as either native or non-native. This is an important distinction, because non-native plants are more likely to become a problem weed than native plants arealthough plenty of native plants can turn into garden pests as well. These terms mean exactly what they sound like. Native plants are those that evolved in the U.S. on their own; they were here long before the first Europeans set foot on U.S. soil, and many were used by Native peoples as food, for medicine, for cordage and for other uses. Non-native plants are sometimes called introduced , because they were brought to this country, typically from Asia or Europe, deliberately or accidentally.

Some plants are brought deliberately from other countries because they were good food crops in their native countries; these are agricultural plants, and include wheat and potatoes as well as a number of now-common grains, fruits and vegetables. Other plants are imported as horticultural specimens, for their beauty; these are commonly sold in garden centers. Unfortunately, both agricultural and horticultural plants that are non-native may escape their intended planting areas. When they do, there may be no natural enemies, such as insects or native wildlife, to keep them in check, and they can spread rampantly, becoming invasive. More on that in a minute.

Accidental introduction from other countries happens when seeds from a plant creep into shipping containers, or become mixed with desirable grains. Seeds may also hitch a ride in packing materials, such as straw, that are used to protect fragile goods during shipment from, say, India or China to the U.S. Some plants or seeds are brought over illicitly; for example, marijuana is often smuggled into the U.S. from Mexico and South America, and it has become an agricultural pest in several states in our region.