Top 20 Most Common Weeds in Nigeria

Nigeria's tropical climate and abundant rainfall create a hospitable environment for a variety of garden weeds. Among these, Goosegrass, Pepper elder, and Chamber bitter are particularly prevalent. These weeds, adept at exploiting the fertile soils and warm temperatures, often compete with cultivated plants, posing continuous challenges for gardeners and landscapers who aim to maintain aesthetically pleasing and healthy gardens.

Most Common Weeds

1. Goosegrass

When there is a famine or a lack of food, the seeds of goosegrass are eaten. This agricultural weed is utilized for cultivated crops, animal feed, and golf courses. It is classified as an environmental weed in various nations. Some Asian countries employ parts of this plant as herbal medicine.

Growth Rate:

Rapid

2. 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.

3. 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

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4. 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

5. 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

6. Dog fennel

Dog fennel is a perennial herb that has finely divided, towering leaves that emit a scent when crushed. Its feathery foliage and clustered flowers sway delicately in the breeze, adding to its decorative appeal. Wind-blown seeds help the plant flourish throughout the field. However, it is dangerous when consumed and has been used as insecticides and fungicides.

Growth Rate:

Rapid

7. 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.

8. 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

9. Blue porterweed

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

10. Mexican tea

Mexican tea (Dysphania ambrosioides) is native to tropical parts of the Americas. Both the leaves and stems have tiny glands that give off a bad-smelling odor. It’s a weed that grows along the sides of roads and stream beds.

Growth Rate:

Rapid

11. 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.

12. Redflower ragleaf

Crassocephalum crepidioides is a slightly succulent herb that can grow up to 1.8 m tall. The plant has mucilaginous and fleshy leaves, though its stems are eaten as a vegetable. It's largely prominent in tropical Africa.

13. Canadian wood nettle

Canadian wood nettle grows from tuberous roots to a height of 30 to 150 cm and often appears in small clumps. Although it does have stinging barbs, the plant is edible and can be steamed and used in a variety of dishes. The taste is described as similar to that of asparagus.

14. Lilac Tasselflower

Lilac Tasselflower (Emilia sonchifolia) is an annual herb that will grow to 61 cm tall. Native to China and the western Pacific, it is considered a weed in most regions of the United States. It grows in full sun in open areas and features edible leaves and lavender pink flowers. Flowers are followed by seed heads with white, fluffy seeds that are easily dispersed by the wind.

15. 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.

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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.

19. Hyssop-leaf sandmat

Hyssop-leaf sandmat (Euphorbia hyssopifolia) is a sandmat that’s indigenous to the southwestern part of the United States. A sandmat is a plant in the genus of Euphorbia that thrives best in deserts. Hyssop-leaf sandmat has a milk-white sap in its stem—just like the milkweed. It’s also known as hyssop spurge, eyebane, wart weed, and chicken weed.

Growth Rate:

Rapid

20. Velvetleaf

Abutilon theophrasti is named after the Greek botanist Theophrastus, who was a successor of Aristotle. The velvetleaf is now considered to be an invasive species in many places of the world and is especially dangerous for corn and soybean crops. When left unmanaged, the velvetleaf can create 100s of millions of dollars in damage for farmers.

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