Weeds database

Achillea millefolium

Yarrow (Asteraceae)

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium Asteraceae) is commonly found in pastures throughout New Zealand, though it is not really a weed ("unwanted plant") in pastures. It was ...

Amaranthus powellii

Redroot (Amaranthaceae)

This is a summer annual, dying off with frosts in late autumn. It prefers warmer conditions than many other summer annuals such as fathen, and so is most troublesome in the ...

Anagallis arvensis

Scarlet pimpernel (Primulaceae)

Scarlet pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis Primulaceae) is a relatively small, scrambling annual weed similar in size and growth habit to weeds such as scrambling ...

Anthemis cotula

Stinking mayweed (Asteraceae)

Stinking mayweed (Anthemis cotula Asteraceae) is an annual weed which mainly germinates in spring. It can be found in crops sown in spring, and also pastures that ...

Aphanes inexspectata

Parsley piert (Rosaceae)

Parsley piert is a small weed which grows commonly throughout New Zealand but is often not noticed. Because of its small size, it becomes a problem mainly in turf where it ...

Arctotheca calendula

Cape weed (Asteraceae)

This turf weed is generally considered to be an annual, though it may be a bit longer lived under some New Zealand conditions where the summers aren"t quite as dry as many ...

Bellis perennis

Daisy (Asteraceae)

Daisies (Bellis perennis Asteraceae) are generally well known to everybody, and many people have made daisy chains as kids. They mainly cause problems in lawns, ...

Brassica rapa ssp sylvestris

Wild turnip (Brassicaceae)

Once it is flowering, wild turnip is a tall, competitive annual weed, capable of causing large reductions in crop yields due to competition for light, nutrients and water. ...

Capsella bursa-pastoris

Shepherd's purse (Brassicaceae)

Shepherd's purse is a fairly small annual weed which can germinate at most times of the year and is very commonly found in crops and gardens throughout New Zealand. It is ...

Carduus nutans

Nodding thistle (Asteraceae)

Nodding thistle is one of the most competitive thistle species causing problems in New Zealand pastures. It is known as musk thistle is some countries overseas. The species ...

Carduus tenuiflorus

Winged thistle (Asteraceae)

Winged thistle (Carduus tenuiflorus, Asteraceae) is a winter annual, which means it generally establishes from seed in autumn, grows as a typical thistle rosette over ...

Cassinia leptophylla

Tauhinu (Asteraceae)

Tauhinu (Cassinia leptophylla Asteraceae) is a perennial scrub weed species which is native to New Zealand. It looks similar to manuka, but is not as widespread, ...

Chenopodium album

Fathen (Amaranthaceae)

This is one of the most competitive cropping weeds in New Zealand, and was fornerly classed within the Chenopodiaceae family. It is a summer annual, which means it germinates ...

Cirsium arvense

Californian thistle (Asteraceae)

Californian thistle (Cirsium arvense Asteraceae) is one of the most common thistle species in New Zealand. It is very troublesome in pastures because it is so ...

Cirsium vulgare

Scotch thistle (Asteraceae)

Scotch thistle (Cirsium vulgare Asteraceae) is a biennial weed, so it depends quite heavily on establishment from seed on a regular basis if it is to be found ...

Conium maculatum

Hemlock (Apiaceae)

Hemlock (Conium maculatum Apiaceae) is a biennial weed probably best known for its poisonous properties. As such, it is not welcome in pastures. However, there are ...

Crepis capillaris

Hawksbeard (Asteraceae)

Hawksbeard is often confused with a number of other weed species which look similar to it. In the vegetative phase, it is very difficult to tell apart from

Cytisus scoparius

Broom (Fabaceae)

As with gorse, broom (Cytisus scoparius Fabaceae) is another very troublesome scrub weed from the legume family. It isn"t spiny like ...

Elytrigia repens

Couch (Poaceae)

Couch (pronounced "kooch"; Elytrigia repens Poaceae) is one of the most troublesome rhizomatous weeds in flower gardens and crops, competing for light, nutrients and ...

Erodium moschatum

Musky storksbill (Geraniaceae)

Musky storksbill can be a problem both in turf and pastures. In turf, it forms large, unsightly rosettes. As they can be seen from quite some distance away, most ...

Fumaria muralis

Scrambling fumitory (Papaveraceae)

Scrambling fumitory is a clambering annual weed which can grow at any time of the year, though most germination is in spring and autumn. It is commonly found in flower ...

Galinsoga parviflora

Galinsoga (Asteraceae)

Galinsoga parviflora (Asteraceae) is an upright annual weed that is occasionally found in crops and gardens. It is not as common throughout New Zealand as other ...

Galium aparine

Cleavers (Rubiaceae)

Cleavers (Galium aparine Rubiaceae) is an annual weed which is often found in its vegetative stage over winter, and produces fruits in mid to late spring. It is ...

Hydrocotyle spp.

Hydrocotyle (Apiaceae)

Hydrocotyle (Hydrocotyle spp., Apiaceae) is the common name given for most species from the Hydrocotyle genus. Although there are ten species listed for this genus ...

Hypochaeris radicata

Catsear (Asteraceae)

Catsear (Hypochaeris radicata Asteraceae) is often confused with dandelion, and certainly has many similarities to both it and

Jacobaea vulgaris

Ragwort (Asteraceae)

Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris, formerly Senecio jacobaea Asteraceae) is a biennial weed which can cause major problems in pastures. It is most troublesome in ...

Lamium purpureum

Red dead-nettle (Lamiaceae)

Red dead-nettle (Lamium purpureum Lamiaceae) is a relatively small annual weed found in gardens and crops in most parts of New Zealand. It can grow throughout the ...

Leontodon taraxacoides

Hawkbit (Asteraceae)

Hawkbit (Leontodon taraxacoides Asteraceae) is a perennial weed often confused with dandelion and several other weed species which also ...

Lepidium didymum

Twin cress (Brassicaceae)

Twin cress (Lepidium didymum, formerly Coronopus didymus Brassicaceae) is an annual weed which can germinate at any time of the year, though typically it ...

Leptospermum scoparium

Manuka (Myrtaceae)

Manuka (Leptospermum scoparium, Myrtaceae) is a perennial scrub species native to New Zealand, and is probably our most troublesome native scrub species. It is ...

Leucanthemum vulgare

Oxeye daisy (Asteraceae)

Formerly known as Chrysanthemum leucanthemum, this perennial weed is most commonly found in waste places, especially along roadsides in many parts of the country. ...

Malva spp.

Mallow (Malvaceae)

"Mallow" (Malva spp., Malvaceae) is a term used to describe a whole group of species, several of which are quite difficult to tell apart. This page is dedicated to ...

Mentha pulegium

Pennyroyal (Lamiaceae)

Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium Lamiaceae) is mainly a weed of moist pastures and turf. Although it can tolerate some summer dryness, it generally only dominates ...

Oenanthe pimpinelloides

Parsley dropwort (Apiaceae)

Parsley dropwort is most commonly called "carrot-weed" in New Zealand, though this name can lead to confusion with wild carrot (Daucus carota) which is another ...

Oxalis exilis

Creeping oxalis (Oxalidaceae)

Creeping oxalis (Oxalis exilis, Oxalidaceae) is a small perennial weed which grows from stolons (creeping stems) and is typically found in lawns. Unlike many oxalis ...

Oxalis vallicola

Pink shamrock (Oxalidaceae)

Paspalum dilatatum

Paspalum (Poaceae)

Paspalum (Paspalum dilatatum Poaceae) is a grass weed which has very short stout rhizomes, which join plants together to form dense clumps. This weed is mainly a ...

Persicaria maculosa

Willow weed (Polygonaceae)

Although when growing in bare areas with few other plants around willow weed will scramble along the ground, it can also grow upright under some conditions such as within ...

Pilosella officinarum

Mouse-ear hawkweed (Asteraceae)

Mouse-ear hawkweed (formerly Hieracium pilosella and now Pilosella officinarum, Asteraceae) is often more commonly known by its former genus name, ...