Weed Identification help please

[veganjo]

Hello all, I'm new here. Could you please take a look at my uploaded photo of this VERY common weed that's taking over my yard? It's not very big. I live on the Gulf of Mexico zone 8b. Any info is appreciated. Thank you!

 

[Mike Allen]

Does it have a small blue flower? You might like to check out...Speedwell.

 

[veganjo]

That sounds about right. I mow the yard so it doesn't get to flower, but I'm sure it must be a variety of Speedwell. Thank you so much!

 

[roadrunner]

It looks very much like Stachys Floridana, AKA, Florida Hedgenettle, Florida Betony, Rattlesnake Weed...

Personally, I like the plant, because the bees love it. It is aggressive and keeps coming back, but it's gone by the summer time, only to return in the fall and provides flowers in the spring for all the pollinators.

I also like because it doesn't choke out other plants, my broccoli, brussels sprouts, carrots, aritchokes....don't have any problems with it growing next/under them; however, chickweed that's another story....

http://www.fnps.org/plants/plant/stachys-floridana
https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=stfl4

 

[veganjo]

Very good, thank you. I just bought 8% triclopyr. We'll see if that works. May just kill the grass too, no biggie! My neighbor says, "As long as it's green, who cares." I should subscribe to that theory. Thank you all so much!

 

[Daren]

8% triclopyr will kill everything including the grass.. If you where after weed killing a lawn there are Lawn specialist weed killers in granule or liquid that Would at least leave you with some grass. Liquide is in general easier to apply as long as you have a watering can with a sprinkler cap

 

[veganjo]

ok, thanks Daren. I have a massive amount of ground cover seeds coming in the mail, so if the St Augustine dies, I will be more than happy to plant ground cover. Yes, I know ground cover by direct sowing in ground is iffy at best.
Roadrunner - hope you are talking about honey bees. Over here I have carpenter bees that will eat your house up and ground hornets that sting like wasps. No nice bees. You are lucky!