Weeds with purple flowers are beautiful when in bloom, but they can sometimes be annoying in our gardens. Some of the plants found here can be very attractive but toxic.
Our list enables homeowners to determine if the weeds found in their gardens can pose any harm. If you’re wondering if the purple flowering weeds are pretty harmless, we’ve got the most common ones listed for you.
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List of Weedy Plants with Purple Flowers
1. Ground Ivy
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Ground ivy, also known as creeping Charlie, belongs to the same family as mint. Since it is herbaceous, it is sometimes added to dishes for its bitter flavor. Others brew parts of the plant, including its purple-colored flowers, as tea due to its high vitamin C content and then the tea is topped up with a sweetener.
However, when they start to grow as weeds, they get pretty aggressive, and they would spread as well, which would be hard to remove if not with herbicides. The condition for their growth would be moist and well-draining soil, as long as the sun is bright and upon it.
2. Wild Violet
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The wild violet weed produces little flowers that are beneficial insects find attractive. Nectar from each purple flower draws bees, butterflies, and even birds to feed on; through this, they would attract a number of pollinators.
Wild violet plants have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which have been used in traditional medicines. However, these weeds are ones that have an aggressive characteristic with their growth, and they would spread through their rhizomes.
3. Purple Dead Nettle
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This is the weeds that are also known as red dead nettle or purple archangel, this weed with purple flowers is an annual flowering plant usually found in Asia and Europe.
Surprisingly, the purple dead nettle has traditional medicinal uses for chills, cuts, and wounds. However, their spreads are something to consider stopping with the use of herbicides.
4. Black Nightshade
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Each purple colored flower of this plant gives way to clusters of dangerous berries, which should not be eaten. While it has non-toxic relatives, such as tomatoes and eggplants, this particular weed presents a health hazard in the presence of curious children and pets.
These weeds are prone to grow when the environment is rich in minerals, and the soil is moist. Also, the sun has to be bright for them to develop and spread as well. To get rid of them, you should check herbicides that have a content of glyphosate, because this is the active ingredient that works to neutralize them.
5. Canada Thistle
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Due to its quick growth, it competes with many local plants, even if its nectar from each purple blossom helps feed bees and butterflies.
If you find this weed, also known as creeping thistle, growing in your garden, use a selective herbicide to prevent its spread, because they are known to grow almost two to five feet tall in their height, and you wouldn’t want them to spread as much.
6. Common Thistle
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Due to their spiny properties, this weed is usually left alone by many animals, allowing it to spread even more. While butterflies and bees enjoy the nectar coming from each purple-colored flower, this weed can be more of an annoyance than a welcome plant.
On another note, you should also remember that only in the right condition and neglect is how these weeds would grow. As a result, if you wish to get rid of them, you should either try to pull them by hand, if they are still very young and soft; however, when they get invasive, you should run on them with a lawn mower.
7. Dovesfoot Geranium
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The dovesfoot geranium is a small but quick-growing weed with purple blooms has slowly but steadily crept up from various grasslands and into cultivated areas. While its beneficial properties are still being studied, its growth habit can easily compete with local plant life.
It is known to grow in the USDA zones six to 10, and it would spread quite aggressively, as long as there is moisture in the soil, and full sun. On another note, if you wish to get rid of these weeds, you can use a lawn mower, or you could also use some herbicides as well.
8. Wood Forget-Me-Not
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This prolific plant has beautiful purple and tiny flowers, making it one of the more welcome weeds on this list. Additionally, the plant is known for attracting bees, butterflies, moths, and other pollinators due to its pollen-rich flowers.
These are safe if they start to grow and spread, and if kids play around them, you don’t have to worry so much; however, be conscious of the Chinese variety, because those weeds that have purple flowers can grow and become toxic.
9. Henbit Deadnettle
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Beloved by hens and visited by hummingbirds, this particular weed has benefits and drawbacks. While it has culinary and therapeutic properties, the henbit deadnettle can easily take over agricultural lands, which means that they are safe, although are fast to spread and develop.
10. Musk Thistle
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Also known as the nodding thistle, this weed with purple tiny flowers competes unfairly with local plants since animals avoid its spines. As a result, it spreads quickly over vast expanses of land and is considered a noxious weed by many farmers, even though it is not a toxic plant to fear any damages it may cause.
Conclusion
While a purple flower might look magical, the plant that produces it is not always beneficial to your garden. Let’s recap what we’ve learned so far:
- Some weeds can be quite toxic, so it’s best to keep them away from your garden.
- Other weeds may have medicinal properties but can still be invasive.
- A purple-colored flower from a thistle can easily cause small pricks and skin irritation upon contact.
A purple bloom might have a personal symbolism for you, but you’ll need to remember that it still came from a weed. Have you found any in your yard? Let us know in the comments below! You can also check our list of 19 ground cover with purple flowers and our list of 14 bushes with purple flowers!
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