Maine Cranberry Weeds
Weeds are plants (native and non-native) that compete with agricultural crops for water, sun, space, and nutrients. Our goal here in providing identification assistance of such plants is not to devalue native plants, but to help our state’s cranberry growers recognize and manage vegetation that impacts their crop production in a sustainable manner. We encourage an ecological approach to management that balances agricultural needs with environmental stewardship. For more information on the benefits of native plants, visit our Pollinator-Friendly Gardening website.
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- Barnyard Grass
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- Birdsfoot Trefoil
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- Bluets / Quaker Ladies
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- Carpetweed
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- Hop Clover
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- White Clover
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- Cinquefoil
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- Creeping Yellow Cress
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- Cudweed
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- Dodder
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- Dwarf St Johnswort
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- Fireweed
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- Wild Bean / Groundnut (Photo courtesy of David Fuller)
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- Hair-cap Moss
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- Hairy Williowweed
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- Hawkweed
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- Equisetum / Mare’s Tail (Central Maine: 6/1/2007)
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- Maple Sapling
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- Meadowsweet – June 10th 2019 (Washington County, ME)
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- Meadowsweet (in bloom)
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- Goldenrod
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- Prostrate Spurge
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- Tufted Vetch
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- Sandspurry
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- Small-flowered White Aster
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- Smartweed / Ladysthumb (the dark spot on the leaves is thought to resemble a lady’s thumbprint)
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- Smartweed / Ladysthumb (flowering)
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- Speedwell
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- Yellow Loosestrife (Washington County, Maine: July 14th, 2003)
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- Water Purslane
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- Small-flowered White Violet
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- Yellow Wood Sorrel
- Asters: New York Aster | Small-Flowered White Aster
- Barnyard Grass
- Beggarstick / Pitchfork
- Birch Trees (Saplings)
- Birdsfoot Trefoil
- Bluets / Quaker Ladies
- Carpetweed
- Clovers: Hop Clover | White Clover
- Common Cinquefoil
- Cow Pea / Purple Vetch
- Creeping Yellow Cress
- Cudweed
- Dandelion
- Dodder (quite rare in Maine cranberry plantings)
- Dwarf St. Johnswort
- Equisetum (Mare’s Tail / Field Horsetail)
- Fireweed
- Groundnut / Wild Bean
- Hair-cap Moss
- Hairy Willowweed
- Hop Clover
- Horsetail or Mare’s Tail (equisetum)
- Ladysthumb / Smartweed
- Maple Trees (Saplings)
- Mare’s Tail (equisetum)
- Meadowsweet
- Narrow-leaved or Lance-leaved Goldenrod
- New York Aster
- Pitchfork / Beggarstick
- Prostrate Spurge
- Quaker Ladies / Bluets
- Sandspurry / Red Sandspurry
- Small-Flowered White Aster
- Smartweed / Ladysthumb
- Speedwell
- Straw-colored Flatsedge
- Swamp Candles / Yellow Loosestrife
- Tufted Vetch / Cow Vetch / Boreal Vetch
- Water Purslane
- White Clover
- White Violet / Lance-leaved Violet
- Wild Bean / Groundnut
- Willowherb / Willowweed
- Witchgrass
- Yellow Loosestrife / Swamp Candles
- Yellow Wood Sorrel
Additional Resources:
- Maine Wild Blueberry Weed Photos (Cranberries have many of the same weeds that wild blueberries have)
- Maine Cranberry IPM Guide (includes control recommendations)