Lettuce: Winter: Winter Annual Weeds (Central Valley)

Winter Annual Weeds—Central Valley

On this page

Common groundsel
Common sowthistle
Fiddlenecks

Little mallow (Cheeseweed)
Sheperd's-purse

See also, winter annual weeds of other regions: Central Coast and Desert.

Use the photos below to identify weeds in the field. Names link to more information on identification and biology.

Click on photos to enlarge

Common groundsel
(Senecio vulgaris): Sunflower family; winter annual; seed leaves narrow, with blunt narrow tip; first true leaves with shallow teeth; third and fourth leaves more deeply lobed.

Common sowthistle
(Sonchus oleraceus): Sunflower family; summer annual; seed leaves markedly stalked, almost spoon-shaped, rounded at tip and often have grayish powdery bloom.

Fiddlenecks
(Amsinckia spp.): Borage family; winter annual; Y-shaped seed leaves with tiny blisters and a few fine hairs; early leaves with coarse, sharp hairs, and 4 to 6 times longer than wide.

Little mallow (Cheeseweed)
(Malva parviflora): Mallow family; winter annual; seed leaves heart shaped, sometimes with red tinge; true leaves roundish with wavy, shallow-toothed margins.

Shepherd’s-purse
(Capsella bursa-pastoris): Mustard family; winter annual; seed leaves pale green with tiny granules on surface; first true leaves with smooth margins; fourth and later leaves may be indented; true leaves covered with star-shaped hairs.

For noncommercial purposes only, any Web site may link directly to this page. FOR ALL OTHER USES or more information, read Legal Notices. Unfortunately, we cannot provide individual solutions to specific pest problems. See our Home page, or in the U.S., contact your local Cooperative Extension office for assistance.

Acknowledgements Staff-only pages Subscribe (RSS) Contact UC IPM

Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California

Accessibility /PMG/C441/m441epwinterweedscv.html?srcPage=PMG%2FC441%2Fm441epwinterweedscv.html revised: June 24, 2016. Contact webmaster.