pest watch
Pineappleweed Matricaria matricarioides
IDENTIFICATION – It’s almost a shame to call this a weed, except that it doesn’t respect the boundaries of your garden. At 6 to 18 in. tall, this annual weed has finely divided leaves that smell like pineapple when they’re bruised. Yellow-green, cone-shaped flowers appear May through September.
FAVORITE CONDITIONS – Pineappleweed grows just about anywhere, being tolerant of very poor soil and conditions — it even stands up to foot and vehicle traffic. Usually found on roadsides, the edges of driveways and waste places, it can also appear in your garden or at the edge of your lawn. A healthy lawn will usually outcompete pineappleweed.
CONTROL – The best control is to pull, hoe or mow it before it has a chance to set seed. Regular lawn mowing will keep it from setting seed in your lawn. In the rest of your garden, it’s easy to pull because the root system is shallow. This is one plant that almost makes weeding pleasant — you can enjoy the smell of pineapple as you pull it.
