The Sports Turf Research Institute - Services

A perennial weed with creeping stems that root at the nodes. Leaves are divided into three segments, each one toothed and hairy. Bears yellow flowers between May and August. Prefers damp, heavy soils.

An annual weed with weak straggling stems forming a low-growing mat. Stems have a single vertical line of hairs, leaves are oval/heart-shaped borne in pairs. Produces small white flowers with 5 deeply divided petals from early spring to late autumn. This weed is not normally a problem in established turf as it prefers cultivated soil and cannot tolerate regular mowing.

A perennial weed that forms a dense, flat rosette of spoon-shaped leaves. Flowers are white with a yellow centre and are produced all year. Grows on all soil types and can tolerate close mowing.

A perennial weed that forms a large rosette with a long tap root. Leaves are lance-shaped and hairless, with deep downward pointing teeth. Single yellow flowers are produced on top of a smooth fleshy stalk from March to November. Found on all soil types.

A perennial weed that forms coarse tufts. Leaves are easily mistaken for grass but have hairs along the edges. Brown, star-shaped flowers are produced from March to May in brush-like clusters on a central stem. Prefers sandy, acid soils.

A small, annual weed common on disturbed ground. The stem is hollow, striated and branched. Leaves resemble parsley but are very dark green. Bears small, white flowers from July to August. Fool's parsley is poisonous and has an unpleasant smell when bruised.

Forms a large, flat rosette. Leaves are broadly oblong with prominent ribs and the leaf stalk is almost as long as the leaf blade. Long, greenish-grey flower heads are produced on slender stalks between May and September. Found on most soil types, especially compacted areas.

A low, upright annual with bright green, slightly shiny leaves. Older leaves are deeply lobed, whereas younger leaves have fewer lobes. Produces yellow, tubular flower-heads in clusters throughout the year.

Forms dense clusters of creeping stems with small, paired, oval leaves. Both stems and leaves are hairy. White flowers are produced in clusters on short stems between April and September. Found on all soil types.

Produces creeping stems which spread out from a small tufted rosette to form a dense mat. Leaves are small and narrow. Bears tiny flowers on top of a thin stalk, with or without white petals. Flowering period between May and October. Found on all soil types.

An upright biennial weed that over winters as seeds or as rosettes (see picture). Leaves are light to dark green, deeply lobed with a ragged appearance. In the rosette form leaves may also be tinged purple and slightly glossy on the upper surface. The mature plant has a woody stem with a red base. Produces yellow daisy-like flowers in dense, flat-topped clusters from July to October. Ragwort is an injurious weed and is specified in the Weeds Act 1959. This means that if this weed is present on your land you have an obligation to remove it.

Forms a rosette. Leaves are hairy, lance-shaped with prominent ribs. Flower heads are short and borne on a long stalk between May and October.

A hairy perennial with creeping stems that root at the nodes. Leaves are oval and borne in pairs. Bears clusters of purple flowers from June to September. Prefers heavy, badly drained soils.

An annual weed that is normally erect but forms a rosette in close-mown situations. It is also known as 'milk-thistle' as it exudes a white viscous juice when broken. Leaves are lobed/toothed and spiny at the margin. Flowers are yellow, produced in crowded 'heads' from June to September.

A creeping perennial with stems that root at the nodes. Leaves are round or kidney-shaped with slightly scalloped edges. Bears pale blue/mauve flowers with 4 petals from April to June. Prefers damp soils.

A tuft forming annual that prefers wet soils. Leaf blades are flat and the stems branched producing flowers at the tips. Flowers are attached directly to the stems without a stalk.

A perennial weed with creeping stems that root at the nodes. Leaves are divided into three leaflets borne on long stalks. White or rosy flowers produced between May and October. Prefers dry, nitrogen deficient soils.

A perennial weed with creeping stems that root at intervals. Leaves are fern-like and fragrant if crushed. Produces small, white flowers in a flat-topped cluster from June to August. However, flowers are not normally seen in regularly mown areas. This weed prefers dry, undernourished soils.

Creeping stems that do not root at the nodes. Each leaf has three leaflets with the central leaflet borne on a short stalk. Bears yellow flowers between June and August. This weed is an annual and prefers dry, nitrogen deficient soils.