What is this weed and should I get rid of it?

Question

I just planted a set of very low water use grasses in my high desert zone 7B New Mexico yard. Some little spouts came up that I at first thought were one of the grasses, but it turns out they're weeds. Now I see that they're growing all over the neighborhood. Here's what a larger one looks like:

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What is this thing called? And, more importantly to me, is there any reason why I should get rid of them? They're green, sprout without supplemental water, and are reasonably pretty. Unless they sprout thorns or totally die in the cold, I'm wondering if I should just keep them.

No, there's barely any sap at all, and what little there is is pretty much clear. — iLikeDirt, Apr 03 '15 at 02:04

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Jan 01 '16 at 04:03

3

These things grow up to become tumbleweeds! Russian Thistle, to be precise.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kali_tragus

answered Jan 01 '16 at 04:03

iLikeDirt

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score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Apr 02 '15 at 23:31

Are you sure it is a weed, and not some local plant? It looks a bit pretty to be a weed :) . You might want to check if it is prevalent outside your immediate neighborhood, and potentially check with a local college/University to see if they confirm it is a weed.

Removal is your choice, depending on whether it is considered invasive to local species, and if not, whether it is liable to siphon off water from your other garden plants.

For example, Oxalis, grows excessively in CA and is quite invasive, so in preference to other weeds, I strive to remove them as much as I can.

What is this weed and should I get rid of it?

2 Answers2