Hemp dogbane is an erect, one to three feet tall perennial. It grows from woody horizontal rootstocks. Leaves are smooth, elliptical, narrow and erect. Flowers are small with five greenish-white petals. Leaves and stems have a milky sap. Seed pods are long and slender. Hemp dogbane plants produce from 800-12,000 seeds per plant. Each plant usually has 10 to 60 seed pods and each pod contains between 80-200 seeds.Hemp dogbane is very competitive. It can reduce forage yields if not controlled. Hemp dogbane prefers low-lying wet areas but can grow in dry upland soils as well.

Hemp Dogbane

Hemp dogbane flower

Hemp Dogbane

Select Herbicide Options:

Weedmaster

2, 4-D

GrazonNext HL

Grazon P+D

Pasturall HL

Surmount

Chaparral (for bermudagrass pastures, will destroy bahiagrass)

Cimarron Max (for bermudagrass pastures, will destroy bahiagrass)

REMEMBER: THE LABEL IS THE LAW!  Always read the pesticide label before using.

Bienniel/Perennial

Usually 1.5 to 3 feet tall with multiple stems. If any part of the stem is broken, a milky sap appears.

Texas Bullnettle

The leaves are dark green and located alternately along the stems. Leaves are 2 to 4 inches long with stinging hairs.

Texas Bullnettle leaves

The flowers, which appear from April through September, consist of 5 to 7 white, petallike sepals.

Texas Bullnettle Flower

Bullnettle is a very common plant found in all soil types. It is most common on sandy soils and disturbed areas. Bullnettle thrives in hot weather.

Select Herbicide Options:

Weedmaster

2, 4-D

GrazonNext HL

Grazon P+D

Pasturall HL

Surmount

Chaparral (for bermudagrass pastures, will destroy bahiagrass)

Cimarron Max (for bermudagrass pastures, will destroy bahiagrass)

REMEMBER: THE LABEL IS THE LAW!  Always read the pesticide label before using.

Wild Carrot, also known as queen anne’s lace, is a biennial broadleaf plant. Wild carrot forms a rosette of leaves the first year, then flowers, produces seed, and dies the second year. It forms a deep, whitish taproot that has a distinctive carrot odor.

Wild Carrot Root

Mature plants reach 2 to 4 feet tall and have erect stems and few branches. Leaves divide several times, forming many long, narrow segments. Leaves on the lower part of the plant have stalks. Those on the upper part of the plant are attached directly to the stem. White flowers are clustered at the end of the stem in a flat, umbrellalike structures (umbels) 2 to 4 inches in diameter.

Wild Carrot Flower

Wild carrot is most likely to thrive under low- or no-maintenance conditions. It is extremely suited for dry, infertile locations such as our roadsides. Because wild carrot is a biennial it relies on exposed soil for germinating seed. Wild carrot is a common progression weed in fields that have been previously tilled and will often dominate in the second year. Vigorous stands of forage will likely prevent a second generation from establishing. Best time to spray with a herbicide is when it is in the basal rosette stage.

Wild Carrot in basal rosette stage

Select Herbicide Options:

Weedmaster

2, 4-D

GrazonNext

Grazon P+D

Chaparral (for bermudagrass pastures, will destroy bahiagrass)

Cimarron Max (for bermudagrass pastures, will destroy bahiagrass)

Pastora (for bermudagrass pastures, will destroy bahiagrass)

REMEMBER: THE LABEL IS THE LAW!  Always read the pesticide label before using.

Annual Sow Thistle: (Sonchus oleraceus L.)

Annual Sow Thistle

Winter annual broadleaf plant. Inhabits agricultural land and other disturbed locations. Species are not easy to distinguish at the seedling stage. Mature plants are erect with a smooth thick stem that secretes a milky sap when cut. The leaves are hairless somewhat bluish green. The upper leaves are smaller than the lower leaves. Flowering generally takes place in the spring and summer and under favorable conditions. Flowers cluster at the stem tips to form daisylike flower heads. Flower heads mature into white, fluffy seed heads.

Perennial Sow Thistle: (Sonchus asper L.)

Perennial Sow Thistle

Perennial broadleaf plant. Adapted to a wide range of conditions, perennial sow thistle does best in moist, fertile soils with full sunlight. Stems are upright and leafy at the base. Cut stems secrete a milky sap. Leaves are alternate and waxy, with prickled edges and variable shape. Leaf color varies from light to dark green. Flowers are small, yellow and dandelion-like. They are grouped in loose clusters at the ends of stems. One plant may have up to 20 flower heads, but with only few in bloom at a time.

Select Herbicide Options:

Weedmaster

2, 4-D

GrazonNext

Grazon P+D

Milestone

Chaparral (for bermudagrass pastures, will destroy bahiagrass)

Cimarron Max (for bermudagrass pastures, will destroy bahiagrass)

Pastora (for bermudagrass pastures, will destroy bahiagrass)

REMEMBER: THE LABEL IS THE LAW!  Always read the pesticide label before using.

Spiny Sow Thistle (Sonchus asper):

An annual that has bluish-green leaves and stems that emit a milky sap when cut. Spiny sowthistle is primarily a weed of pastures, hay fields, landscapes and roadsides.  It is found throughout the United States. Young leaves form a basal rosette have a whitish coating.

Basal Rosette of Spiny Sow Thistle

The leaves have very prickly margins that initially develop as a basal rosette and then occur alternately along the flowering stem, the bluish-green color of the leaves, and the yellow flowers with a ‘puff-ball’ seedhead are all characteristics that help in the identification of spiny sowthistle. Spiny sow thistle has a taproot.

Mature Spiny Sow Thistle with Yellow Flowers

Leaves of Spiny Sow Thistle

Select Herbicide Options:

Weedmaster

2, 4-D

GrazonNext

Grazon P+D

Milestone

Chaparral

Cimarron Max (for bermudagrass pastures, will destroy bahiagrass)

Pastora (for bermudagrass pastures, will destroy bahiagrass)

REMEMBER: THE LABEL IS THE LAW!  Always read the pesticide label before using.

Buttercup Seedling

Buttercup growing in a ryegrass pasture in East Texas.

Upclose of flowering Buttercup

Fertilizing and liming to soil test recommendations and efficient utilization of pastures or hay fields are the primary ways to decrease weed pressure.

Select Herbicide Options:

Weedmaster

2, 4-D

GrazonNext

Grazon P+D

Milestone

Cimarron Max (for bermudagrass pastures, will destroy bahiagrass)

Pastora (for bermudagrass pastures, will destroy bahiagrass)

REMEMBER: THE LABEL IS THE LAW!  Always read the pesticide label before using.

Grassbur

Grassbur is a grass weed that is very troublesome in pastures and hay meadows throughout Texas. Most grassburs are easily recognized in the mature stage of growth when the “bur” seed heads become apparent. The bur itself is actually a “capsule” that usually contains from 1 to 3 seeds. We tend to think of the grassbur species as a warm season annual plant. However, many grassburs are classified as perennials because they can survive from one year to the next. The presence of grassburs can be an indication of a weak stand of forage. Grassburs are more tolerant of acidic, low fertility soils than many of our warm season forages. One of the best cultural control measures is to maintain a healthy stand of forage with proper management.

Grassbur at the 2 to 3 leaf stage.

Identifying grassbur is key to chemical control. Unfortunately most can not identify a grassbur until it has produced the bur seed head. Dr. Paul Baumann, Professor & Extension Weed Specialist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, has an excellent publication on grassbur identification. Click here for a copy of the publication: Grassbur: Early recognition is a key for management.

Select Herbicide Options:

Prowl H2O (pre-emergent; labeled for winter dormant bermudagrass only)

Pastora (post-emergent for bermudagrass pastures, will destroy bahiagrass)

REMEMBER: THE LABEL IS THE LAW!  Always read the pesticide label before using.