Plant Profile

A close-up of green leaves and clusters of small, white flowers, likely Japanese knotweed, in a sunlit outdoor setting with tall grasses in the background.

Plant Profile: Japanese Knotweed (Reynoutria japonica)

August 1, 2026 Plant ProfileTallgrassWeeds

Direct Answer Japanese knotweed is a highly aggressive, invasive perennial plant characterized by its bamboo-like stems and an extensive underground root system. Effectively eradicating it requires permanently destroying the roots, which is most efficiently achieved through repeated chemical herbicide applications…

Teasel, Dipsacus sp dries 2nd year seed heads in winter.

Plant Profile: Teasel (Dipsacus sp.)

July 1, 2026 Plant ProfileTallgrassWeeds

Direct Answer Teasel is a highly invasive biennial herbaceous weed, easily identifiable by its spikey cylindrical flower head, that aggressively crowds out native species in both disturbed and natural areas. Teasel completes its lifecycle in two years, starting as a…

Monotypic stand of flowering yellow sweet clover Melilotus officinalis.

Plant Profile: Sweet Clover (Melilotus sp.)

June 1, 2026 Plant ProfileTallgrassWeeds

Direct Answer Sweet clover is an invasive biennial weed that damages native habitats, and the most effective way to control it is by mowing during its peak flowering stage before seeds can form. Alternative control methods like hand-pulling or careful…

Callery pear, pyrus calleryana close up of white stinky flowers in spring.

Plant Profile: Callery Pear (Pyrus calleryana)

May 15, 2026 Plant ProfileTallgrassWeeds

Direct Answer The Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana) is a highly invasive ornamental tree that rapidly escapes planted areas to outcompete native vegetation across the Midwest and eastern United States. Controlling it requires halting new installations and removing existing trees using…

Plant Profile: Crown Vetch (Securigera varia)

May 5, 2025 Plant ProfileTallgrassWeeds

If you’re a gardener or a friend to bees, you may have been tempted to plant crown vetch in your flower beds. It grows quickly, it’s easy to take care of, and its flowers are pretty and prolific. Yet while…

Plant Profile: Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arundinacea)

April 1, 2025 Plant ProfileTallgrassWeeds

Few invasive species cause more havoc in our wetlands than reed canary grass, or RCG for short. Nearly ubiquitous, this seemingly unremarkable grass has been taking over our streams, marshes, and meadows for decades, leaving little room for other plant…

Plant Profile: Japanese Knotweed (Reynoutria japonica)

Plant Profile: Teasel (Dipsacus sp.)

Plant Profile: Sweet Clover (Melilotus sp.)

Plant Profile: Callery Pear (Pyrus calleryana)

Plant Profile: Crown Vetch (Securigera varia)

Plant Profile: Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arundinacea)

Plant Profile: Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna)

Plant Profile: Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)

Plant Profile: Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)