Wild ginger
Image: Weedbusters

Identifying weeds

Introduction

Use weed identification guides to find out which weed you're dealing with and how to control it.

Weeds come in all sizes, shapes and growth forms, and are found everywhere, not just in your garden. Different types of weeds have different impacts. For example:

  • wilding pines – trees drop seeds that quickly take over open ground to grow pine forests
  • Chilean rhubarb – forms large clumps that shade out native plants
  • old man's beard – a vine that smothers native plants.

By identifying a weed you'll find out the impact it will have on its environment.

Weed identification guides

Like any plant, different weeds are identified by their characteristics. Plant identification guides can be used to help identify which weed you are dealing with. Once you know what it is, you can easily find out how to control it. 

Use these websites to identify and learn more about different weeds:

Types of weeds

The weeds you identify are likely to be one of these types. 

Trees and shrubs (woody plants)

Weeds that are trees or shrubs overtop or replace other plants and alter the composition of native plant communities, often preventing native plant regeneration.

Common trees considered weeds include: wattles, willows, tree privet and wilding pines. Common weeds that are shrubs include: barberry, gorse, heather, broom and buddleja.

Herbs (non-woody plants)

Herbs or perennials are non-woody plants. They can overtop small plants, crowding out native plants and preventing the regeneration of native seedlings.

Examples include: wandering willie, chilean rhubarb, wild ginger and pampas grass. They can also occur in aquatic habitats eg, oxygen weed that grows in lakes.

Vines

Vines climb and scramble, smothering trees and forest canopies.

Ivy, old man’s beard, Japanese honeysuckle, climbing spindleberry, mothplant and banana passionfruit are all problem weed vines in New Zealand.

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