Book Review: Weeds of the Northeast

Weeds of the Northeast by Richard H. Uva, Joseph C. Neal, and Joseph M. DiTomaso is one of those reference books that never goes out of date. My copy, which I only purchased a few months ago, is already well-thumbed.

I have yet to find a book about weeds that is as comprehensive and as inclusive as this one.  And while it focuses on weeds that are primarily found in the northeast quadrant of the country (north to Canada, south to Virginia, and west to Wisconsin), my guess is that it would be helpful for many other areas of North America as well.

The book is designed in such a way that identification of weeds can be accomplished relatively easily.  There are identification tables that differentiate similar weeds based on characteristics and multiple pictures showing each of the plants included at multiple stages of their life cycle.

I find myself walking through the gardens with the book in hand, quickly identifying things that have eluded my efforts to properly name them for years. Of course, one woman's wildflower is another woman's weed, and so my lone cautionary note is that not everything in the book needs to be pulled up and relegated to the compost pile.

While Virginia Creeper is classified as a "weed" for the purposes of this book, we have it happily growing over a chain link fence where the dark green leaves cover the unattractive metal fencing and the berries attract wood thrushes, warblers, and woodpeckers.

Likewise, Johnny Jump-ups are a staple in many of our beds and our two trumpet vines provide late summer color where they've been trained to grow.

That said, the information about each plant's growth habits, propagation, and root system has made it easier to eradicate weeds that are not welcome in our perennial beds and has helped us to effectively control those that we've chosen to cultivate and enjoy as "wildflowers".

Kvetching about Vetch

If the garden is thriving, so are the weeds, and chief among them is my most frustrating nemesis, vetch. The fact that it blooms, and that the blooms might actually be considered interesting, if not attractive, does little to endear it to me. It's ubiquitous presence in our lavender hedges, herb and perennial beds, and crawling and twining amongst the roses is a major thorn in my side.

Vetch twining through the woodland phlox

I might be a wee bit more tolerant if we were hosts to Vicia grandiflora, which at least has a lovely flower. Unfortunately, we are plagued by lavender cow vetch (Vicia cracca) which is difficult to control without herbicides.

Because of it's long taproots once established and prolific root system that allows it to spread throughout the garden at a rapid pace, pulling it up has been a temporary remedy for a chronic headache. We are aggressively targeting it this spring, hoping that by consistently digging each new shoot we spot along with as much of the roots as we can, we can wear down the remaining root systems and hopefully rein it in.

In the last week, benefiting from the steady rain, vetch has overtaken the woodland phlox and echinacea.

Living next to a wetland and conservation area means a steady supply of weeds spread via seeds, and since we use only organic methods -- no chemicals -- to weed and feed our gardens, it means that there is no shortage of work for us here!