The Good Weeds

Wood Violets (Viola Sororia) is the state flower of Wisconsin. It often grows in shady spots of your yard like under trees. When left to grow on their own, they will spread rapidly and seed themselves. They are perennials returning each year, typically flowering in late Spring, they provide a nice splash of color before other flowers' bloom. Wood Violets may also attract butterflies before Summer flowers are available. Its roots aren't particularly deep, so if they are causing problems, they are easy to remove. Our yard is full of these little guys, but after I turned up the soil to setup our meadow garden, they started to take over so we pulled them to prevent them from shading out the seedlings.


Dendelions (Taraxacum officinale) are a very common flower which many people have their yards treated for, but dandelions are much more than weeds. They are salad greens and can be turned into wine. Dandelions have large tap roots which is what makes them so difficult to pull. Dandelions are visited by House Finches and Goldfinches for food, and Hummingbirds may use Dandelion fluff as nesting material. Dandelions are also abundant and easily available for bees and butterflies.


Clover (Dalea Candida - White Prairie Clover & Dalea Purpurea - Purple Prairie Clover). There are a number of species of clover that may grow in your yard but not all of these are native. White Clover and Red Clover are fairly common, but these should not be mistaken with White Prairie Clover and Purple Prairie Clover. While all of them are nitrogen fixers, which are good for your lawn, the "Prairie" varieties are native and can get rather large. Both "Prairie" species grow a large taproot that may grow 6 feet deep. Both species of clover attract a host of pollinators. Both enjoy full sun and do well in dry conditions.

If you are interested in other weeds that aren't so good for your yard, click here.