You can identify most common lawn weeds by four features: leaf shape, growth habit, flower and root. Dandelion has toothed leaves in a flat rosette and a yellow flower, crabgrass forms light green grassy patches in summer, wild violet has glossy heart-shaped leaves, and ground ivy (creeping Charlie) has scalloped leaves on square, creeping stems that smell minty when mowed. Saela Pest Control is a residential and commercial pest control company rather than a weed-control service, so this guide draws on university extension sources. Knowing whether a weed is an annual or a perennial matters most, because it decides whether pulling, mowing or a healthier lawn will keep it from coming back.
Dandelion
Dandelion is a broadleaf perennial with a rosette of leaves whose irregular teeth point down toward the center of the plant. Purdue University’s turfgrass guide to dandelion describes yellow flowers on long, leafless stalks that turn into the familiar white, globe-shaped seedhead, each producing 140 to 190 viable seeds. The plant grows from a strong taproot and can regrow from root pieces left in the soil, so pull or dig out as much of the root as you can. Purdue notes that a dense lawn helps crowd out new dandelion seedlings and that fall is the best time to control perennial broadleaf weeds like this one.
Crabgrass
Crabgrass is a summer annual grass that shows up as light green patches, and its older leaves and sheaths turn reddish-purple as the season goes on. University of Minnesota Extension’s crabgrass guide explains that the seeds sprout in spring once the soil warms to about 55°F, the stems creep and root at the nodes, and the plant drops its seed and dies by the first frost. Because it returns from seed each year, the best prevention is a dense lawn; Minnesota Extension suggests mowing at 3 inches or higher, which shades the soil and reduces germination; our summer lawn care tips cover mowing and watering habits that keep turf thick.
Wild Violets
Wild violet is a low-growing perennial with glossy, hairless, heart-shaped leaves with serrated edges and small purple, violet, blue or white flowers in spring. Some homeowners like them, but Penn State Extension’s wild violet guide explains why they are hard to remove: thick, branching rhizomes store food and produce new plants, and they spread in moist, fertile soil in sun or shade. Hand-pulling only works if you dig out the rhizomes, and Penn State notes that control can take repeated effort over more than one season.
Ground Ivy/Creeping Charlie
Ground ivy, also called creeping Charlie, is a perennial in the mint family with square stems, rounded leaves with scalloped edges and small purple or blue tubular flowers. University of Minnesota Extension’s ground ivy guide notes that it smells minty when crushed or mowed, roots at its stem nodes and spreads by horizontal underground stems, and thrives in damp, shaded areas. To pull it, remove all of the roots and shoots, since leftover pieces regrow, and remember that a dense, healthy lawn is the best defense against it.
Identifying the plant first is the same principle Saela uses for insects and rodents, where the first step of its integrated pest management cycle is pest identification, followed by monitoring, targeted treatment and evaluation. Some lawn damage isn’t weeds at all: raised ridges and mounds usually point to moles, and Saela’s mole control method identifies active tunnels and places mapped traps inside them, with follow-up checks.
Saela’s work covers pests in and around the home and starts with identifying the pest correctly. Its plans and pricing page explains how service is quoted by pest type, property size and visit frequency. In a February 2024 Google review, Larry Lansing wrote, “Friendly, good service!”
Saela’s American Fork, Utah location is rated 4.9 out of 5 from 118 Google reviews as of October 2026. For weeds, your county extension office is the best local resource; for insects, rodents or moles in the yard, book a call with Saela.
Who wrote this article?
Devin Hutchings (Marketing Director at Saela Pest Control) wrote this article.
Devin leads Saela’s marketing and growth strategy. He brings more than 15 years of marketing experience across Uber, C.R. England, Lugg, and Neighbor. His background spans customer acquisition, retention, and developing marketing channels for service businesses and consumer marketplaces.
