People around the whole United States hate the presence of weeds on their lawns. No one can deny that.
It’s no different in Ohio though, as the common lawn weeds in Ohio are as invasive, aggressive, and damaging as in any other state.
Ohio isn’t the largest state in the area but is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated.
This means that more people are going to need accurate information on Common Lawn Weeds in Ohio, and how to deal with them properly.
In this guide on Lawn Advisors, we’ll provide you with the top 10 most common lawn weeds in Ohio, explaining in detail how to get rid of them, and how useful they can be on some occasions.
You can jump to this video before moving through with our guide to the most Common Lawn Weeds in Ohio.
Types of Common Lawn Weeds in Ohio
According to our research at Lawn Advisors, Ohio’s most common lawn weeds are either grass or broadleaf-type weeds.
They are also categorized into different types, as some of them are Annual weeds which die by the end of their season, or Perennial which continues to grow each year, and flourish in specific seasons.
With that being said, Common Lawn Weeds in Ohio are categorized as followed:
- Annual Grass.
- Annual Broadleaf.
- Perennial Grass.
- Perennial Broadleaf.
Top10 Common Lawn Weeds in Ohio
- Thistle
- Bittercress
- Knotweed
- Dandelion
- Ground Ivy (Creeping Charlie)
- Crabgrass
- Chickweed
- Speedwell
- White Clover
- Purslane
1. Thistle
Thistle is the first & most invasive weed across Ohio.
It has signature sharp & spiky spines and acts as a perennial blooming broadleaf weed.
Thistle can grow to 2-5 feet tall.
It’s not a friendly weed by any means, if you ever step on the spiky spines you’ll be in for severe pain.
As for your lawn, it steals the grass’ nutrients from the soil and releases chemical poisons instead as Lawn Advisors tested.
How to get rid of Thistle weed? Cut the stems carefully with a pair of scissors, and then use broadleaf herbicides on the rest of the weed plant.
As for its usefulness, it’s not advised to try and eat the thistle, even if you cut it properly and try to boil it.
2. Bittercress
Bittercress is an annual winter weed that can grow to as high as 6-31 inches.
It’s known for its white blooms, centralized stems, and prickly seed capsule.
Eager to know more about Bittercress and how to get rid of it? Read this article.
3. Knotweed
Knotweed is famous for its slender wiry stems and narrow oval-shaped leaves that look green to the eye.
It searches for the compacted soil, and finds homage there, starting its own colony.
To fight against this annual weed will be required to aerate your lawn properly, and make that compacted soil a living hell for the Knotweed.
When you encounter this 6-16 feet lawn weed, apply repetitive mowing and cutting of the weed, to get rid of it for good.
Some would advise applying herbicides, others would advise digging up the whole plant, and both can work really fine too.
Are Knotweed plants edible? They can be eaten raw, sauteed, pickled, and grilled, but they are tough plants to deal with in the first place.
4. Dandelion
Dandelions are the most common lawn weeds in many areas around the US, as they can be found in lawns, roadways, vineyards, sidewalks, and more.
They are known to be a rapidly spreading lawn weed, thanks to their invasive nature.
Learn more about how heavily nutritional the Dandelion weeds can be in this article.
5. Ground Ivy/Creeping Charlie
This weed goes by many names, but we’ll settle for both Ground Ivy and Creeping Charlie for this guide.
This weed type loves the spring, they thrive on sprouting as early as possible in spring to start their own colonies.
This 2-inch weed produces a heavy odor when crushed and removed, as it’s part of the mint family
It’s a tough weed as it can thrive in nearly any environment, learn more about why in this article.
6. Crabgrass
Crabgrass is hated almost in every US state, and in Ohio, it’s no different.
It can be found in almost every lawn, regardless of how well you’re caring for it.
A single Crabgrass plant can produce more than 75,000 seeds in a single growing season, that’s how its colonies are made.
Learn more about this stubborn weed in this article.
7. Chickweed
Chickweed has some oval-shaped leaves than allow you to differentiate it among tens of weed types.
Despite its best efforts to reproduce, you can get rid of Chickweed by hand-pulling the weeds, aerating the soil, applying fertilizer and herbicides, then proceeding to normal lawn care.
Check another method of removal in this article.
8. Speedwell
Speedwell weed is a pretty common lawn weeds in Ohio, due to its four-petal flowers that come in either white, purple shades, or blue colors.
It’s an annual creeping weed that can be invasive when left alone to ruin your lawn.
It creeps on your lawn killing the grass and stealing its nutrients in an aggressive manner.
Aeration and overseeding are the best way of prevention against speedwell weed in Ohio, as it thrives on weak and dry turf.
If you’ve already faced it in your yard, then remove the flower by hand, then apply the proper herbicides.
This 1-3 ft weed can be eaten raw or cooked.
9. White Clover
White Clover has been spotted in tens of lawns in Ohio and Northern KY.
Since it prefers soils with a lower pH level, it uses this to take advantage of grass.
However, it has a weak root system, and getting rid of it can easily be done.
Check the removal process in this article.
10. Purslane
Purslane is an annual creeping weed that can be found throughout the northeast of Ohio, empowered by its resilience.
Purslane is well-known for its thick & round reddish stem and paddle-shaped leaves.
Encountered Purslane? This guide shall help you get rid of it.
Summary
This concludes the list of Top 10 Common Lawn Weeds in Ohio at Lawn Advisors, starting with Thistle and finishing the list with Purslane.
If you encountered other weed types in Ohio, please let us know in the comments section below, so we can help you get rid of them easily.
