Top 20 Most Common Weeds in Venezuela

Venezuela's tropical climate with abundant rainfall and warm temperatures creates a fecund environment conducive to the proliferation of garden weeds. Among the most common are Artillery plant, Common purslane, and Pepper elder, each thriving and competing aggressively in domestic gardens and landscapes. These invasive species challenge both amateur and professional gardeners, requiring diligent management to prevent overgrowth and the displacement of native plants.

Most Common Weeds

1. 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.

2. 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

3. Culantro

Culantro, not to be confused with cilantro or coriander, is a culinary herb with a strong flavor used in dishes across East Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Cultivation is increasing as demand for this herb grows in economies around the world. In tropical areas, this herb can be grown as a perennial, but it will likely only grow as an annual in colder areas.

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4. 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.

5. Common plantain

While native to Europe, the common plantain was one of the first plants to reach North America through early European explorers. Native Americans have referred to Plantago major as 'white man's footprint', as it disrupted many local ecosystems by its introduction.

Growth Rate:

Moderate

6. 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.

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. 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.

9. 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

10. 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.

11. 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

12. 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

13. Common sowthistle

Common sowthistle is a common weed originated in Europe and West Asia. Alongside many sister species that hard to distinguish, it is considered to be an invasive plant in many parts of the world. Its leaves with some bitter taste are editable either green as a part of a salad or cooked in various ways.

14. Johnson grass

Experts consider johnson grass (Sorghum halepense) to be one of the ten worst weeds in the world. If frost or heat causes the plant to wilt, it can produce enough hydrogen cyanide to kill livestock. It grows at such a prodigious rate, it can choke out other crops. It’s named after Colonel William Johnson, an Alabama plantation owner who sowed lots of its seed around 1840.

Growth Rate:

Rapid

15. Oriental false hawksbeard

Oriental false hawksbeard (Youngia japonica) is a plant species native to eastern Asia. The oriental false hawksbeard grows throughout regions all over the globe, and is considered an invasive weed. This species grows especially well in disturbed areas, lawns, and roadsides.

Growth Rate:

Rapid

16. Spiny sowthistle

The spiny sowthistle is considered a noxious and invasive weed in many areas. Its flowers resemble those of a dandelion and its leaves, although covered in spines, are edible. This plant can grow up to 1.8 m and sap that resembles milk will leak out of the leaves and stem if they are broken or cut.

Growth Rate:

Rapid

17. 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

18. Pigeonberry

The pigeonberry is a vine-like herb that can reach heights of 40 to 200 cm. It produces a bright red berry as a fruit that is tested to be safe to consume. The juice made from these berries was once used as a dye and ink.

19. Virginia pepperweed

Virginia pepperweed (Lepidium virginicum) is a plant species native to North America with the exclusion of certain parts of Canada. Every part of the virginia pepperweed plant is edible and has a peppery taste. This plant can be used as a substitute for black pepper.

20. Jimsonweed

Jimsonweed (Datura stramonium) is a species of nightshade plant native to Central America which is considered an invasive species in more temperate climates. It can be toxic if ingested in significant quantities. It has a distinctive, strong smell. The jimsonweed gets its common name from Jamestown, Virginia, where soldiers ingested the plants exhibited altered mental states afterward.

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In Venezuela, you can find Pepper, Aloe vera, Zanzibar gem, Snake plant, Maize, and more! There are 50 types of plants in total. Be sure to look out for these common plants when you’re walking on the streets, in parks, or public gardens.