How many species of weeds in your lawn?

[cavan wood]

I assume that most people that feed birds don't use herbicides on their lawns. (actually, I don't use them primarily for my own health and that of my children). As such, as I was cutting the grass today, I was impressed by how little grass I actually have and how many different species of weeds I keep cut to grass height. So how many species of weeds are in your lawn. You can only count those that you cut over with the lawnmower.

I have about 24 or so (and I probabably don't have the right names for a lot of them):
dandelion (of course)
creeping charlie (yuk)
black medick? (it's yellow, why do they call it black?)
heal all
field daisy
violets
lamb's ear (grey fuzzy thing, gets pink flowers if I move them to the garden)
dutch white clover
broad-leaved plantain
narrow-leaved plantain
some type of dwarf buttercup
wild strawberry
wild carrot (queen anne's lace)
hawkweed (both yellow and orange)
thistles
bugle weed
a little viney thing with white bell-like flowers (pretty actually)
bedstraw
panseys
indian hemp (I think that's what it's called, looks like a slender milkweed)
canada anemone (I also grow them on purpose)
blue-eyed grass
bladder campion
chickweed
sow-thistle
At least one or two more that I don't know at all.

Despite the rather uneven look at times, this diversity keeps the cotton-tails happy, so, for the most part, they leave the flower beds and veggies alone. And I actually watched an indigo bunting eating dandelions this spring.

Scott

[florall]

Interesting. I'll have to go out and see. I know there's masses of different things, and as the grass isn't cut all that frequently, some of them do get to flower and even seed, so are of wildlife benefit.

I remember a couple of years ago, we had a self seeded oak tree that grew a couple of inches. Then the lawn was cut, but the tree just regarded this as being coppiced so within a week or two, we had a two trunk oak tree. I always regret that I didn't dig it up and pass it on to some friends who have got a newly established area of woodland. I would love to have gone back in years to come (say about 500!) and see how "my" oak tree was getting on.

[David FG]

I assume that most people that feed birds don't use herbicides on their lawns. (actually, I don't use them primarily for my own health and that of my children). As such, as I was cutting the grass today, I was impressed by how little grass I actually have and how many different species of weeds I keep cut to grass height. So how many species of weeds are in your lawn. You can only count those that you cut over with the lawnmower.

black medick? (it's yellow, why do they call it black?)
Scott

It's called 'Black Medick' because that is the colour of the ripe fruiting body.

[pauco]

Looking at our lawn, every type i think ;)