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jack9854

Please Identify This Weed

11 years ago

I am located in southern Ohio and this weed is growing under a large tree in a shady area, I would like to identify this weed before treating the area, it is large area.


Comments (10)

  • 11 years ago

    I agree - either seedlings or suckers. If they are seedlings they will pull out. If suckers they are attached to roots or trunk of the tree and will not pull. I'd also like to know what kind of tree they are under.

  • 11 years ago

    If they are tree seedlings, they can't survive repeated mowing.


  • 11 years ago

    It is under some type of bradford pear tree, last fall I didn't collect the fallen fruit in time, when I got to it, the fruit was rauten and soft to the touch when I picked it.
    The picture is of bradford pear seedlings and I don't know if I should spray them with some 2, 4 D Broadleaf Weed Control or just keep mowing and let then die naturally.


  • 11 years ago

    Mow them asap and keep doing it.

  • 11 years ago

    If they are seedlings, mowing as often as you would normally to maintain your lawn should kill them. If the are suckers from the roots, you may need to trim them a bit more often, and lower to the ground, before they give up. If they are root suckers, poisoning them will poison the tree. The less the tree is pruned, the less it should feel like making root suckers.

    Not sure your tree is a Bradford. The fruits on that are too small for anyone to think necessary to pick up.


  • 11 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    They are seedlings and not suckers from the roots;
    I can pull each one by hand, complete with its root system. The tree is Bradford
    pear tree, my HOA had this tree type planted in the center of each front yard throughout
    the neighborhood, and it does look good for one week a year when it blooms.
    Looking in my neighbor's front yards confirmed this; they all have tree seedlings growing under the
    trees, some neighbors try
    to eradicate them with herbicide of some kind and ended up with bear spots
    under the tree (Dead lawn).

    I blame myself for the large number of
    seedlings, last fall I left the fallen fruits on the ground and picked them up
    only when I was racking the dead leaves, at the time the fruit under the leaves
    was decomposing and very difficult to rack, I had to scoop it by hand, it was a
    very messy job.

  • 11 years ago

    The pics and info here should help you compare your tree to Bradford:
    http://webpage.pace.edu/naturespace/Bradford%20Pear.htm
    http://www.invasive.org/browse/subinfo.cfm?sub=10957

    It's possible but seems unlikely that an HOA would use these trees as
    you describe. The flowers smell awful, and these trees are very
    short-lived as far as trees go, about 30-40 yrs. Once they mature, they
    start falling apart in large chunks. They are common in the strip of
    grass between sidewalk and street, but unlikely as "the" tree in a front
    yard. If that's what it is, I'd quit worrying about the sprouts &
    investigate getting rid of the tree.

    Some type of crabapple seems much more likely from the info so far.


  • 11 years ago

    I am sorry to say that matching the leaves, fruit, flowers,spring and fall colors, my tree is some kind of Breadford pear tree, the neighborhood is fifteen years old so none of the trees started to fall apart, the only picture that I have of my tree in fall colors from 2011.



  • 11 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    Oh man. It does look like BP, no doubt they are very pretty. In a
    well-manicured lawn like that, mowing should be all that's needed to be
    rid of the seedlings.

    If your HOA gets ready to make any more landscaping decisions, keep a close eye on them. Love your pretty house, BTW!

    Our
    neighbor across the street had this happen to his one day last summer,
    an ordinary not-windy day. About 1/4 of the tree just fell off:

    Hmm... pic not working, will try another time.

    (Edited to add pic.)