Top 20 Garden Weeds
This is a, not too serious, attempt to list the top 20 worst weeds in the New Zealand garden and rank them for overall importance by the harm they can cause, how common they are and how difficult they are to get rid of.
Top 20 Garden Weeds
This is a, not too serious, attempt to list the top 20 worst weeds in the New Zealand garden and rank them for overall importance by the harm they can cause, how common they are and how difficult they are to get rid of.
There are, of course, many variables that would make the weed more or less important in particular situations. There are also other weeds such as privet, gorse, broom and ragwort that might be in the top 20 in certain situations. E.g. I am sure gorse, broom would be high in a top 20 on the list of worst environmental weeds in New Zealand*, but they are not very often a weed in gardens.
Note: there is another list of top 20 weeds in lawns.
Click on the weed for more information on identification and control.
Weed |
Harm Caused |
How Common |
Difficulty of Control |
Total |
Perennial climber/scrambler that strangles and shades out desirable plants. |
Very common. |
Waxy leaves, multiple root systems and large size when established can make ivy difficult to control. |
26 |
|
Annual and perennial grasses seed readily often infest garden beds, paths and waste places. |
Very common. |
Can be difficult to control. |
24 |
|
Rapidly growing smothering vines. |
Very common. |
Can be difficult to spray when twined in desirable plants. |
24 |
|
Perennial spreads easily to beds and pots. |
Very common. |
Bulbed forms can re-sprout. |
23 |
|
Rapidly growing scrambling climber smothers desirable plants. |
Common. |
Waxy leaves, multiple root systems and large size when established can make control difficult. |
23 |
|
Rapidly growing smothering vine. |
Common. (Score 6) |
Can be difficult to spray when twined in desirable plants. |
22 |
|
Group of, often prickly, annual-perennial rosette weeds with taproots. |
Very common. |
Most are relatively easy to control. |
22 |
|
Perennial spreading ground cover. |
Common. |
Water repellent leaves and large size when established can be difficult. |
22 |
|
Perennial bulbed weed. |
Common. |
Waxy leaves and bulbs can make it hard to control. |
22 |
|
Prickly, scrambling woody perennial. |
Common in waste areas. |
Mature plants can be difficult to control. |
22 |
|
Large rhizomes spread easily and crowd out desirable plants, spread into the environment. |
Common. |
Waxy leaves and large root systems make control difficult. |
21 |
|
Perennial with large taproot readily grows in beds and waste places. |
Very common. |
Moderately difficult to control once established. |
21 |
|
Perennial with large taproot readily grows in beds and waste places. |
Very common. |
Moderately difficult to control once established. |
21 |
|
Group od annual-perennial low growing spreading weeds. |
Very common. |
Relatively easy to control. |
21 |
|
Bamboo is a large grass and spreads in tall clumps. |
Common. |
Hard to control. |
20 |
|
Rapidly spreading annual. |
Very common. |
Relatively easy to control by manual removal or herbicide. |
20 |
|
Rapidly scrambling annual with sticky seeds. |
Very common. |
Relatively easy to control by manual removal or herbicide. |
20 |
|
Shrubby perennials, poisonous. |
Common. |
Relatively easy to control. |
20 |
|
Large leafy plant spreads and shades out desirable plants. |
Common. |
Large root systems can make control difficult. |
19 |
|
Rapidly growing spring annual. |
Very common. |
Relatively easy to control. |
19 |
|
Family of annual-perennial shrub-spreading weeds. |
Common. |
Relatively easy to control. |
19 |
*See the Department of Conservation's Dirty Dozen in the War on Weeds.
**Couch/twitch, Poa annua, Kikuyu, Paspalum, etc.
Please let us know if you agree or disagree with this list and why.....other than there are 21 in the list!
David Brittain
Kiwicare
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