Winter Weeds

by

Stephen G. Saupe, Ph.D.
Biology Department
College of St. Benedict/St. John�s University
Collegeville, MN  56321

    There is no reason for a plant lover to go dormant in the winter like our green friends.  Herbaceous plants can be readily identified by their winter �skeletons.�  This guide provides a very brief overview of winter weed identification.  So, what should you look for?

• Height - (i.e., tall, short)

• Mode (i.e., upright, prostrate, vines)

• Branching pattern (i.e., unbranched, branched)

• General shape (i.e., wand-like, elm-like, flat-topped)

II.  Habitat (i.e., where does it grow? prairie, roadside, swamp, bog, wood edge, forest) 

III.  Underground Structures

• Roots - type (i.e., taproot, fibrous, tuberous)

• Stems � rhizomes, bulbs, corms (shape, color, texture)

IV.  Stem

• Shape (i.e., round, square, five-angled)

• Color

• Odor

V.  Leaves

• Attachment (i.e., alternate, opposite, whorled)

• Position (i.e., cauline, basal)

• Texture (i.e., smooth, hairy)

• Type (i.e., simple, dissected, compound) 

VI.  Inflorescence type (i.e., spike, umbel, raceme, panicle, head) 

VII.  Flower remnants (i.e., sepals, bracts, receptacles, ovary) 

VIII. Fruit

• type (i.e., capsule, achene, hip, berry, drupe, grain)

• texture (i.e., smooth, hairy, spiny)

• color

IX.  Seeds

• Shape (i.e., round, flat, triangular)

• Color

• Texture (i.e., smooth, ridged, hairy, spiny)

References:

• Levine, Carol.  1995.  A Guide to Wildflowers in Winter.  Yale University Press, New Haven.

• Embertson, Jane.  1979.  Pods.  Wildflowers and Weeds in Their Final Beauty.  Charles Scribner�s, NY.

• Brown, L.  1976.  Weeds in Winter.  WW Norton & Company, NY.

• Roberts, June Carver. 1993.  Season of promise: Wild Plants in Winter in NE US.  Ohio University  Press, Athens.

Matching:  Can you match the plant with its common name?  (this was part of a presentation for the Audubon Society  in which dried weeds labeled with their scientific name were available for study)