Weeds. They hide among the beauty of the garden that you designed, spreading their seeds and growing happily. You don't mind, though, because they are pretty flowers. Or are they?

Unfortunately, there are plenty of weeds that look like flowers. They rely on you being distracted by their beauty and letting them live, but don't fall for it! You want to be extra careful because weeds weaken a garden's soil and can be detrimental to the health of your plants. 3 of the most common weeds in the Macomb, MI area that are commonly mistaken as flowers are British elecampane, purple deadnettle, and white campion. Continue reading to learn more about these weeds that are disguised as flowers.

1. British Elecampane

Do you have small flowers in your garden that look like sunflowers? If so, be careful, those might actually be British elecampane weeds. They're an invasive and highly aggressive weed and they are bad news for the health of your garden. They have a long, slightly fuzzy stem with several offshoot branches and long, pointy tipped leaves. The flowers of these weeds look like a cross between a dandelion and a sunflower.

They flower between July and September, so that is the time that you will want to be on the lookout for them. The tricky thing about hand-pulling British elecampane weeds is that it can be hard to remove the roots thoroughly. If you have more than a small patch, you should consider using an herbicide or getting professional help.

These weeds can grow between 2 and 8 feet tall!

2. Purple Deadnettle

Purple Deadnettle weeds invading a lawn in New Baltimore, MI.

Purple deadnettle weeds are another type of weed that is often mistaken for a flower. They have vibrant, purple flowers that sit atop a cascade of dark green and thick leaves that grow growing downward. The veins of the leaves are deep, making the surface bumpy and leathery to the touch.

These weeds are known as winter annuals, meaning that they germinate in the fall, survive the winter, and start to flower in the spring. If you do not remove these weeds from your garden, they will take up resources that the rest of your garden needs to thrive. If you only have a few of these weeds in your garden, you can pull them by hand, but if they make up more than just a small area, a post-emergent herbicide is the best way to eliminate them from your garden.

3. White Campion

White campion is a weed that grows up to three feet high and has soft, fuzzy stems and leaves with ragged edges. It flowers throughout the year and reproduces by both seed and using a root system. This root system makes it crucial to get a white campion problem under control as soon as possible. When it comes to getting rid of white campion, your best bet is to use a post-emergent herbicide.

Give us a call to sign up for our weed control service.

If any of these weeds have invaded your garden, it's time to turn to the professionals. At Big Lakes Lawncare, we provide a weed control service that will have your garden weed-free in no time. We know all of the types of weeds that are common to this area and can distinguish what is a weed and what is a flower. We offer our weed control service to residential, commercial, and HOA properties in Macomb, MI as well as the surrounding areas including Shelby, and Chesterfield. If you're ready to take back control of your garden, give us a call today at (586) 200-0855 to sign up for our weed control service.