Hi everyone! I'm here in the DC suburbs of Northern VA, zone 7a/b. For
some reason this year, strange weedies I've never seen before have sprouted
ALL OVER my lawn. They're about six inches high (no, we're not slackers,
we've just had a lot of rain recently and haven't mowed the grass yet for
fear of compacting the soil) and have straight stems with little leaves that
look almost like ivy topped with small purple flowering things. These
things are taking over our back yard, and as I said, I've never seen them
before -- we've been here almost three years and we generally just get
clover and other leafy weed-type things in the lawn. Any ideas on what they
might be and the best way to get rid of them without killing the grass?
Thanks in advance!

Rhonda
Alexandria, VA

Could be violets, here's some pictures:
http://altnature.com/gallery/violet.htm

Or possibly henbit:
http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/lamam.htm

Violets are welcome in my lawn. They are beautiful, and the leaves are an
important food for the larval stages of some butterflies. They only flower
in the spring, then the leaves merge into the general green of the lawn.
I'm not as fond of henbit, but it doesn't worry me; I pull it from the
flower beds, and ignore it in the lawn. It grows most vigorously in the
spring, and fades into obscurity when it gets shorn by the mower.

Sue

Zone 6, Southcentral PA


"Natty_Dread" wrote in message
...
Hi everyone! I'm here in the DC suburbs of Northern VA, zone 7a/b. For
some reason this year, strange weedies I've never seen before have
sprouted
ALL OVER my lawn. They're about six inches high (no, we're not slackers,
we've just had a lot of rain recently and haven't mowed the grass yet for
fear of compacting the soil) and have straight stems with little leaves
that
look almost like ivy topped with small purple flowering things. These
things are taking over our back yard, and as I said, I've never seen them
before -- we've been here almost three years and we generally just get
clover and other leafy weed-type things in the lawn. Any ideas on what
they
might be and the best way to get rid of them without killing the grass?
Thanks in advance!

Rhonda
Alexandria, VA

"SugarChile" wrote in message
news
Could be violets, here's some pictures:
http://altnature.com/gallery/violet.htm

Or possibly henbit:
http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/lamam.htm

Violets are welcome in my lawn. They are beautiful, and the leaves are an
important food for the larval stages of some butterflies. They only
flower
in the spring, then the leaves merge into the general green of the lawn.
I'm not as fond of henbit, but it doesn't worry me; I pull it from the
flower beds, and ignore it in the lawn. It grows most vigorously in the
spring, and fades into obscurity when it gets shorn by the mower.

Sue

Zone 6, Southcentral PA

I looked at those two pages, and unfortunately it's not violets! I wish it
were. It looks kind of like henbit, but that page said henbit grows to 16
inches tall and these are much smaller, more like 6 inches. Also, the tips
of what's in my yard don't look like the henbit flowers. They look more
like a decorative leaf than a flower. Can you tell I'm obssessing about
this? heheh

Thanks for the info, though...I think i'll plant violets somewhere and see
if I can get them to grow!

Rhonda



"Natty_Dread" wrote in message
...
Hi everyone! I'm here in the DC suburbs of Northern VA, zone 7a/b. For
some reason this year, strange weedies I've never seen before have
sprouted
ALL OVER my lawn. They're about six inches high (no, we're not
slackers,
we've just had a lot of rain recently and haven't mowed the grass yet
for
fear of compacting the soil) and have straight stems with little leaves
that
look almost like ivy topped with small purple flowering things. These
things are taking over our back yard, and as I said, I've never seen
them
before -- we've been here almost three years and we generally just get
clover and other leafy weed-type things in the lawn. Any ideas on what
they
might be and the best way to get rid of them without killing the grass?
Thanks in advance!

Rhonda
Alexandria, VA

Rhonda,

It's Henbit. Trust me.

Dave in Fairfax.


"Natty_Dread" wrote in message
...

"SugarChile" wrote in message
news
Could be violets, here's some pictures:
http://altnature.com/gallery/violet.htm

Or possibly henbit:
http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/lamam.htm

Violets are welcome in my lawn. They are beautiful, and the leaves are
an
important food for the larval stages of some butterflies. They only
flower
in the spring, then the leaves merge into the general green of the lawn.
I'm not as fond of henbit, but it doesn't worry me; I pull it from the
flower beds, and ignore it in the lawn. It grows most vigorously in the
spring, and fades into obscurity when it gets shorn by the mower.

Sue

Zone 6, Southcentral PA

I looked at those two pages, and unfortunately it's not violets! I wish
it
were. It looks kind of like henbit, but that page said henbit grows to 16
inches tall and these are much smaller, more like 6 inches. Also, the tips
of what's in my yard don't look like the henbit flowers. They look more
like a decorative leaf than a flower. Can you tell I'm obssessing about
this? heheh

Thanks for the info, though...I think i'll plant violets somewhere and see
if I can get them to grow!

Rhonda



"Natty_Dread" wrote in message
...
Hi everyone! I'm here in the DC suburbs of Northern VA, zone 7a/b.
For
some reason this year, strange weedies I've never seen before have
sprouted
ALL OVER my lawn. They're about six inches high (no, we're not
slackers,
we've just had a lot of rain recently and haven't mowed the grass yet
for
fear of compacting the soil) and have straight stems with little
leaves
that
look almost like ivy topped with small purple flowering things. These
things are taking over our back yard, and as I said, I've never seen
them
before -- we've been here almost three years and we generally just get
clover and other leafy weed-type things in the lawn. Any ideas on
what
they
might be and the best way to get rid of them without killing the
grass?
Thanks in advance!

Rhonda
Alexandria, VA

"David J. Bockman" wrote in message
...
Rhonda,

It's Henbit. Trust me.

Dave in Fairfax.

Thanks, Dave...I think you're right -- I looked at the ones in our yard
again and compared what's there to the VA Tech henbit page SugarChile sent,
and they do look the same. Oh well...this too shall pass! Cheers...




"Natty_Dread" wrote in message
...

"SugarChile" wrote in message
news
Could be violets, here's some pictures:
http://altnature.com/gallery/violet.htm

Or possibly henbit:
http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/lamam.htm

Violets are welcome in my lawn. They are beautiful, and the leaves
are
an
important food for the larval stages of some butterflies. They only
flower
in the spring, then the leaves merge into the general green of the
lawn.
I'm not as fond of henbit, but it doesn't worry me; I pull it from the
flower beds, and ignore it in the lawn. It grows most vigorously in
the
spring, and fades into obscurity when it gets shorn by the mower.

Sue

Zone 6, Southcentral PA

I looked at those two pages, and unfortunately it's not violets! I wish
it
were. It looks kind of like henbit, but that page said henbit grows to
16
inches tall and these are much smaller, more like 6 inches. Also, the
tips
of what's in my yard don't look like the henbit flowers. They look more
like a decorative leaf than a flower. Can you tell I'm obssessing about
this? heheh

Thanks for the info, though...I think i'll plant violets somewhere and
see
if I can get them to grow!

Rhonda



"Natty_Dread" wrote in message
...
Hi everyone! I'm here in the DC suburbs of Northern VA, zone 7a/b.
For
some reason this year, strange weedies I've never seen before have
sprouted
ALL OVER my lawn. They're about six inches high (no, we're not
slackers,
we've just had a lot of rain recently and haven't mowed the grass
yet
for
fear of compacting the soil) and have straight stems with little
leaves
that
look almost like ivy topped with small purple flowering things.
These
things are taking over our back yard, and as I said, I've never seen
them
before -- we've been here almost three years and we generally just
get
clover and other leafy weed-type things in the lawn. Any ideas on
what
they
might be and the best way to get rid of them without killing the
grass?
Thanks in advance!

Rhonda
Alexandria, VA

strange weedies I've never seen before have sprouted
ALL OVER my lawn with little leaves that
look almost like ivy topped with small purple flowering things.

Could be mallow. See:
http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopE...eed/mallow.htm
sed5555

Ground ivy, maybe?

http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/glehe.htm

Sed5555 wrote:

strange weedies I've never seen before have sprouted
ALL OVER my lawn with little leaves that
look almost like ivy topped with small purple flowering things.

Could be mallow. See:
http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopE...eed/mallow.htm
sed5555

blue-eyed grass?

--
gloria - only the iguanas know for sure