Weed Identifier
Photograph a weed in your lawn, beds or paving to find out what it is, whether it is an annual or a perennial, how it spreads, and how to remove it without chemicals. Free, with no sign-up.
Identify a Weed
Start with the first photo on this list. The result says whether it is usually a weed, how it spreads, and how to remove it.
Best photos, most useful first
- The whole plant from above
- A leaf, close up
- The stem
- Flowers or seed heads
- The roots
Choose from your photos
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JPEG, PNG, WebP or iPhone HEIC up to 10MB. Photos are compressed and stripped of metadata on your device before upload.
What to Photograph to Identify a Weed
Weeds are easiest to name once they have a few true leaves. These shots carry the clues that separate one weed from another.
- 1
The whole plant from above
Show its overall form: a flat rosette, a clump, a creeping mat or an upright stem. Young weeds often look alike, so a bigger plant helps.
- 2
A leaf, close up
Include the leaf edge and the point where it joins the stem. Leaf shape and arrangement do most of the work.
- 3
The stem
Roll it between your fingers. Square stems point to the mint family; triangular stems point to a sedge; round, hollow, jointed stems are typical of grasses.
- 4
Flowers or seed heads
If it is flowering or setting seed, photograph that. It is the fastest way to a species.
- 5
The roots
Wearing gloves, pull one up and photograph the base: a taproot, runners above ground, or roots spreading underground change how you remove it.
Broadleaf, Grassy or Sedge? A Weed Identification Chart
Extension services sort weeds into these three groups first, because each group grows, spreads and is controlled differently. Here are common lawn and garden weeds in each.
Broadleaf weeds
Leaves with a net of branching veins, and often showy flowers.
- Dandelion Taraxacum officinale
- Perennial rosette of deeply toothed leaves on a long taproot, yellow flowers on hollow, unbranched stalks, then puffball seed heads.
- White clover Trifolium repens
- Perennial with three leaflets and round white flower heads, spreading by creeping stems that root as they go.
- Broadleaf plantain Plantago major
- Perennial rosette of broad oval leaves with a few strong parallel veins and narrow spikes of tiny flowers.
- Ground ivy (creeping Charlie) Glechoma hederacea
- Perennial with square stems, round scalloped leaves and small purple flowers, creeping and rooting along the ground.
- Common purslane Portulaca oleracea
- Summer annual forming flat mats of fleshy, paddle-shaped leaves on reddish stems in hot weather.
- Common chickweed Stellaria media
- Cool-season annual with small paired oval leaves and tiny white flowers whose five petals are split so deeply they look like ten.
- Henbit Lamium amplexicaule
- Winter annual with square stems, scalloped leaves that clasp the stem near the top, and small purple tubular flowers in early spring.
- Field bindweed Convolvulus arvensis
- Perennial vine with arrowhead-shaped leaves and white or pink trumpet flowers, regrowing from deep roots.
Grassy weeds
Narrow leaves with parallel veins, wrapped around round, usually hollow, jointed stems.
- Crabgrass Digitaria
- Summer annual that sprawls in low clumps with finger-like seed heads, dies at the first frost and returns from seed.
- Annual bluegrass Poa annua
- Light green clumps with whitish seed heads in spring, even at very low mowing heights.
- Quackgrass Elymus repens
- Perennial spreading by long white underground rhizomes, with small claw-like auricles that clasp the stem where the leaf starts.
Sedges
Grass-like, but with solid triangular stems you can feel when you roll them. “Sedges have edges.”
- Yellow nutsedge Cyperus esculentus
- Glossy, pale green leaves in sets of three that outgrow the lawn in summer, spreading by small underground tubers. Common in wet spots.
Weeds People Often Mix Up
Check the deciding feature before you choose how to remove it.
Dandelion vs catsear
Dandelion leaves are mostly hairless and each flower sits on its own hollow, unbranched stalk. Catsear leaves are hairy and its flower stalks are solid and branched.
Ground ivy vs henbit
Both have square stems. Ground ivy is a perennial that creeps and roots along the ground; henbit is a winter annual with upright stems and upper leaves that clasp the stem.
Nutsedge vs grass
Roll the stem: nutsedge is solid and triangular, grasses are round. Nutsedge leaves also come off the stem in threes.
Crabgrass vs quackgrass
Crabgrass is an annual that sprawls from one point and dies in fall. Quackgrass is a perennial that runs underground and has clasping auricles at the leaf base.
How to Get Rid of Weeds Without Chemicals
The right method depends on the life cycle: stop annuals before they seed, and get the roots out of perennials.
- 1
Annuals: stop the seed
Annual weeds spread only by seed, so remove them before they flower. A few inches of mulch on beds keeps many seeds from sprouting.
- 2
Perennials: get the roots
Perennials regrow from taproots, runners, rhizomes or tubers. Dig out the whole root system, or keep removing new growth until the roots run out of reserves.
- 3
Pull when the soil is moist
Grip at the base and pull slowly after rain or watering. Use a weeding fork for taproots such as dandelion, which can regrow from pieces left behind.
- 4
Do not chop up creeping roots
Tilling weeds that spread by rhizomes or deep roots, such as quackgrass or bindweed, can cut them into many new plants.
- 5
Grow thick turf
In lawns, dense grass is the best defense. Mowing at the higher end of the range for your grass shades the soil and helps keep crabgrass seedlings down.
- 6
Keep seeds out of the compost
Most home compost piles do not get hot enough to kill weed seeds or creeping roots, so bin weeds that are flowering or setting seed.
Where to double-check an ID
- Find your county extension office(opens in a new tab) Land-grant university experts who can confirm an ID from a sample, often for free.
- USDA PLANTS Database(opens in a new tab) Official profiles, photos and state-by-state distribution maps for U.S. plants.
The weed identifier never says whether a plant is safe to eat or touch, or safe for pets, and it gives no herbicide advice. Some weeds are regulated by state law; your extension office can tell you which. For safety questions, go to the experts:
- Poison Help (U.S.)(opens in a new tab) If someone may have eaten or touched something harmful, call 1-800-222-1222.
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plants(opens in a new tab) The reference list for plants and cats, dogs and horses.
Weed Identifier FAQ
Does the weed identifier recommend weed killers?
No. Results cover hand pulling, digging, mulching, mowing and timing, matched to how the weed spreads. We do not give herbicide advice. If you choose to use one, follow its label, which is the legal instruction for that product, and ask your county extension office.
Can it tell me if a weed is poisonous?
No. It names the plant and explains how it grows, but it does not judge whether a plant is poisonous, edible or safe for pets. Use Poison Help (1-800-222-1222 in the U.S.) or the ASPCA plant list for those questions, and wear gloves when pulling plants you are unsure about.
What if the weed is actually something I planted?
Seedlings of vegetables and flowers often look like weeds. The result says when a plant is usually grown on purpose and lists the lookalikes it could be. If in doubt, leave one plant until it flowers.
Which photo works best?
A photo of the whole plant from above, then a close-up of one leaf where it meets the stem. Flowers, seed heads and the roots all help. A bigger plant is easier to identify than a tiny seedling.
Is my photo stored or shared?
After you review the local preview and choose Analyze Photo, a metadata-free copy is sent to our servers and an AI model provider to produce your result. We do not build a gallery, sell the image, or use it for advertising. See the privacy policy for details.