Aggressive weed, help!

[Wendco]

Hello from Texas! I need help identifying and finding a way to get rid of this weed growing everywhere in my front and back yard. I started ripping it by hand and first but it didn’t help. This thing does not discriminate pots, lawns, flowerbeds or cracks in the pavement and it is taking over my yard. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thank you!

 

[Chuck]

Hello from Texas! I need help identifying and finding a way to get rid of this weed growing everywhere in my front and back yard. I started ripping it by hand and first but it didn’t help. This thing does not discriminate pots, lawns, flowerbeds or cracks in the pavement and it is taking over my yard. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
View attachment 83734

Texas is a big place. Please update your profile letting us know in which part of Texas you are located.

 

[Wendco]

Texas is a big place. Please update your profile letting us know in which part of Texas you are located.

East Texas, Mabank
How do I fix this in my profile? And do you recognize this pest? Thank you

 

[Chuck]

East Texas, Mabank
How do I fix this in my profile? And do you recognize this pest? Thank you

Click on your name, go to account details and fill in the boxes. I believe that what you have is called Hairy Vetch. It is mainly a northern plant but is also common in East Texas. It is a good cover crop and is planted in many areas for this purpose. It is a legume, a nitrogen fixing plant. In your case, the best way to get rid of it is to let it grow and bloom and then mow it before it goes to seed. You will probably have to do this more than once. The only other way is nasty chemicals such as Roundup, 2-4D etc. Perhaps @Meadowlark will respond as he lives in that neck of the woods.

 

[Meadowlark]

Howdy Wendco.

I first started seeing this obnoxious weed last year for the first time ever. At first, I suspected that it may have been a "traveler" coming in on some mulch that my local utility offered for free...but now I'm not sure because I see it everywhere this year with or without mulch. I've been around several decades here and never seen this weed before. It is highly aggressive as you mentioned and pops up everywhere.

I have a lot of hairy vetch, use it in cover crops often, like it, and although it has some similarities in looks this weed isn't vetch IMO. Vetch grows primarily in the cooler months here and can't stand up to our Heat but this stuff seems to thrive in the heat...the hotter the better. If you mow vetch in the heat it will die...but this stuff keeps right on trucking. Round-up will kill it but it is also very easy to kill via the old fashioned hoe. I haven't found anything to stop it except aggressively hoeing it. It is far better to get after it in some manner, otherwise it will rapidly spread.

I'm thinking of going to my County Agent for a positive id...maybe you could do that also. Very highly invasive weed.

 

[DirtMechanic]

Looks like some kind of big leaf mimosa. Airborne seed that grows into a unbelievably gnarly root system that propagates and spreads underground. Makes a small softwood tree if so.

 

[Mrsclem]

Phyllanthus urinaria- Chamber bitter. Looked this one up several years ago when I noticed it popping up in my garden. Removal before it blooms will get it under control.

 

[Meadowlark]

That's it....excellent find, Mrsclem. Apparently very common in Louisiana .

Widely known as gripewood or chamberbitter. LSU article addresses control:
https://www.lsuagcenter.com/profiles/lblack/articles/page1529686220899

 

[DirtMechanic]

Haha also called little mimosa

 

[Meadowlark]

Well, little or big whose counting? It must be airborne seeds as you suggested. Good work!

 

[Wendco]

Thanks for your help! I’ll get to work. Please wish me luck!