Top 20 Most Common Weeds in India

India's warm climate, abundant rainfall, and fertile soil create a hospitable environment for numerous garden weeds. Among the most common weeds that pose challenges to gardeners and landscapers are Common purslane, Santa Maria feverfew, and Asthma-plant. These persistent species rapidly colonize gardens, competing with crops for resources and requiring diligent management to control their spread and mitigate their impact on the biodiversity of local ecosystems.

Most Common Weeds

1. Common purslane

Portulaca oleracea, colloquially known as common purslane, is an annual succulent species with reddish stems and tiny yellow, five-petal flowers. It is used for culinary purposes in various parts of the world, most often raw, in salads. Common purslane is also a good companion plant for crops that thrive in moist soils.

Growth Rate:

Rapid

2. Santa Maria feverfew

Parthenium hysterophorus or santa Maria feverfew is also called famine weed. It is an invasive weed that can disrupt the health of crops, pasture, livestock, and humans. A substance in the plant, called parthenin, is highly toxic and can cause dermatitis and breathing difficulties in humans and animals.

3. Crown Flower

The crown Flower has beautiful flowers that are used to make leis and were a favorite of the last queen of Hawaii. The outer petals of this flower curl back, and reveal what looks like a crown inside. The sap of this plant may cause skin irritation and can be considered toxic.

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4. Asthma-plant

Asthma-plant (Euphorbia hirta) is a ground-hugging spurge weed whose branches can grow to 61 cm long. It blooms from summer through early fall, dying off after the first frost. A milky sap will seep from broken stems or leaves. It can be a nuisance weed that reproduces rapidly.

Growth Rate:

Rapid

5. Artillery plant

The artillery plant is often utilized as a groundcover or an ornamental in many landscapes. It's commonly named the "artillery plant" because the males generally produce pollen in an explosive way. It grows best in a humid environment in partial shade or indirect sunlight. It's a particularly popular plant in indoor rock gardens.

6. Mexican prickly poppy

Argemone mexicana has been naturalized in many parts of the world. It is extremely tolerant of drought and poor soil, but is poisonous to grazing animals. Its seed pods secrete a pale yellow latex when cut open. In India, the mexican prickly poppy is used in the Holika Dahan festival, in which adults and children worship by offering flowers.

Growth Rate:

Moderate

7. Chamber bitter

Chamber bitter is blooms in summer. Its striking branched leaf pattern makes it an attractive ornamental, but it is a weedy plant that takes careful management to stop its seeds from spreading to unwanted areas. It is considered invasive in the southern United States.

Growth Rate:

Moderate

8. American black nightshade

American black nightshade (*Solanum americanum*) is a flowering herb with unknown native origins, and it is poisonous. Its berries should not be consumed, as berry consumption has resulted in death in children.

9. Creeping woodsorrel

Creeping woodsorrel (Oxalis corniculata) is a flowering herb which grows aggressively. The leaves have a lemony flavor and are often made into tea that's rich in vitamin C. However, if ingested in large amounts the oxalic acid for which the genus is named can begin to block the body's calcium absorption.

10. Mexican fireplant

Mexican fireplant is native to tropical America, but it has been naturalized in other tropical and subtropical regions in the world. *Euphorbia heterophylla* is a poisonous plant to humans and livestock. It contains a toxic milky sap which can cause strong skin irritation.

11. Cutleaf groundcherry

Physalis angulata is an annual plant belonging to the nightshade family Solanaceae. It has dark green leaves that are roughly oval, and often have tooth shapes around the edge. The flowers are a pale yellow and the yellow-orange fruits are wrapped inside a balloon-like calyx, which is toxic and should not be eaten.

12. Pepper elder

Pepper elder (Peperomia pellucida) is a perennial flowering plant that blooms all year. The entire pepper elder plant is edible and can be eaten raw or cooked.

13. Water hyacinth

Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is a fast-growing flowering plant species with ovular, waxy leaves. Water hyacinth is listed as a federal noxious weed in the United States. This species is invasive to ponds, lakes, rivers and other wetland habitats. It forms dense, floating mats of vegetation that restricts light to underwater environments.

Growth Rate:

Rapid

14. Blue porterweed

Blue porterweed is native to the Caribbean and considered an invasive species in many areas outside.

15. Devil's trumpet

Devil's trumpet (Datura metel) is a highly toxic annual species. Devil's trumpet ingestion can cause headaches, hallucinations, coma, and death. In spite of its toxicity, it is sometimes grown as an ornamental flower.

Growth Rate:

Slow

16. Lambsquarters

Lambsquarters has many other names, including pigweed, goosefoot, and bacon weed. This plant seems to appear out of nowhere and is considered by many to be a pesky weed. However, the greens of this plant are edible, can be prepared similar to spinach, and are packed with nutrients.

Growth Rate:

Rapid

17. Three-lobed false mallow

Three-lobed false mallow (Malvastrum coromandelianum) is an annual and perennial herbaceous shrub native to North America and South America. This plant has been introduced to other areas of the world and is commonly found in Australia, Asia, and Africa.

18. Puncture Vine

Puncture Vine_ (Tribulus terrestris)_ is a poisonous plant. The fruit consists of burs with sharp spines, which can puncture the skin of human beings and animals. They can also rupture a bicycle tire (hence the name) and penetrate shoe soles. The leaves contain compounds known as saponins, which are toxic to livestock.

19. Common mugwort

Common mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) is an herbaceous plant often found in nitrogen-rich soils. The plant's scent is reportedly a mild insect repellant. Common mugwort is used as an offering in Nepalese temples. Tradition holds that it has cleansing properties, so believers also use it to sweep their floors to give them both a spiritual and physical cleaning.

Growth Rate:

Rapid

20. Graceful spurge

Graceful spurge (Euphorbia hypericifolia) is a perennial flowering bush that blooms all year round. This species grows best in full sunlight or partial shade. Graceful spurge is resistant to rabbits and deer due to its toxic sap. This species is often cultivated as an ornamental plant and grown in containers, hanging baskets and gardens. Gardeners should wear gloves when handling graceful spurge due to its toxic sap.

Growth Rate:

Moderate

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