Common weeds and their scientific names with pictures in Nigeria

Speargrass (Imperata cylindrica), found on millions of hectares across Nigeria, is the most widespread weed threatening West African farmland. This guide lists 30 common weeds in Nigeria and their names, with botanical names, identifying features, and agricultural impact, so farmers, students, and gardeners can identify what is growing on their land.

Key takeaways

• Nigeria is home to dozens of weed species that compete with crops for nutrients, water, and sunlight.
• Imperata cylindrica (speargrass) is considered the most economically damaging grass weed in West African agriculture.
• Weeds in Nigeria fall into four main groups: grass weeds, broadleaf weeds, sedges, and parasitic weeds.
• Several common Nigerian weeds, including waterleaf (Talinum triangulare) and wild lettuce (Lactuca taraxacifolia), are edible and widely used in traditional cooking and medicine.
• Correct identification is the first step to effective control; different weed types require different management methods.

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Common weeds and their scientific names in Nigeria

In Nigeria, common weeds range from fast-growing broadleaf shrubs and persistent grasses to parasitic species and floating aquatic plants. Check out the most common Nigerian weeds and their botanical names below.

This list was compiled based on agricultural distribution, prevalence across Nigerian farming zones, and frequency in agronomic research, including A Handbook of West African Weeds by C. W. Agyakwa and I. O. Akobundu.

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1. Speargrass (Imperata cylindrica)

• Botanical name: Imperata cylindrica
• Family: Poaceae (grass family)
• Type: Perennial grass
• Also known as: Cogon grass, blady grass, lalang

Speargrass is a relatively tall grass reaching up to 2 metres with long, thin stems and fluffy, cotton-like flower heads. It spreads aggressively via underground rhizomes, making it extremely difficult to eradicate once established.

It is used for decoration, roof thatching, and medicine in some parts of West Africa. However, it is mostly considered useless and troublesome, as it hampers agricultural production in Nigeria, where it competes directly with maize, cassava, and other staple crops.

2. Siam weed (Chromolaena odorata)

• Botanical name: Chromolaena odorata
• Family: Asteraceae
• Type: Invasive perennial shrub
• Also known as: Devil weed, Siam bush

Siam weed is an invasive shrub introduced from Central America that now dominates fallow land across southern Nigeria. It is also called devil weed and has some unexpected benefits.

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Of course, it is a mostly useless plant that grows on the land that lies fallow, but it can keep other weeds away that are much harder to get rid of. Farmers sometimes tolerate it on fallow land because it suppresses more difficult weeds like nutgrass.

3. Nutgrass (Cyperus rotundus)

• Botanical name: Cyperus rotundus
• Family: Cyperaceae (sedge family)
• Type: Perennial sedge
• Also known as: Purple nutsedge, earth almond

Despite its name, nutgrass is not a true grass but a sedge, identified by its triangular stems and nut-like underground tubers. It is widely recognised as one of the world's most troublesome agricultural weeds.

The plant prefers dry conditions, but it can survive in moist soil, which makes it hard to get rid of, so Nigerian farmers hate it. Its tubers can remain dormant underground and sprout new plants when disturbed.

4. Milkweed (Euphorbia heterophylla)

• Botanical name: Euphorbia heterophylla
• Family: Euphorbiaceae
• Type: Annual broadleaf
• Also known as: Wild poinsettia, painted leaf

Milkweed is named for the milky white substance it exudes when cut. It has poinsettia-like false flowers without petals and is a significant weed in soybean and cassava fields across West Africa.

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Important warning: It might cause anaphylaxis and dermatitis in people who are sensitive to latex. Always wear gloves when handling this plant.

5. Nuke-Noh (Tridax procumbens)

• Botanical name: Tridax procumbens
• Family: Asteraceae
• Type: Annual/perennial broadleaf
• Also known as: Tridax daisy, coatbuttons

Though farmers view it as a pest, this plant has traditional medicinal uses. It is said to be helpful for people who are dealing with diabetes. It is also called tridax daisy and produces small cream-coloured flowers on long stalks.

The weed is invasive and difficult to eliminate because it re-sprouts readily and produces large numbers of wind-dispersed seeds. It is common in disturbed soils, roadsides, gardens, and cultivated fields across Nigeria.

6. Witchweed (Striga spp.)

• Botanical name: Striga hermonthica, S. asiatica, S. gesnerioides
• Family: Orobanchaceae
• Type: Obligate parasitic broadleaf
• Also known as: Striga

Witchweed is described as particularly unpleasant. It robs other plants of their nutrients by penetrating their root systems. Cereal grains suffer from this weed the most. In Nigeria, it causes severe losses in maize, sorghum, millet, and cowpea.

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The weed's seeds can remain viable in the soil for more than 20 years. A single plant can produce up to 90,000 seeds, making it almost impossible to eradicate once established.

7. Couchgrass (Digitaria abyssinica)

• Botanical name: Digitaria abyssinica
• Family: Poaceae
• Type: Perennial grass
• Also known as: African couchgrass

Couchgrass has long, flat blue-green leaves, the roots of which form a mat underground, and that is definitely not good for crops. The underground rhizome network competes intensively with root crops such as cassava and yam.

It thrives across West Africa and regenerates from root fragments left in the soil after cultivation. Repeated tilling can spread it further by breaking rhizomes into new propagules.

8. Dayflower (Commelina benghalensis)

• Botanical name: Commelina benghalensis
• Family: Commelinaceae
• Type: Annual broadleaf
• Also known as: Bengal dayflower, tropical spiderwort

While its leaves are edible and consumed in some communities, this weed is highly damaging in cultivated fields. It can cause serious harm to crops of peanuts, cassava, coffee and tea, and it can host a harmful virus that can attack the crops.

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Dayflower produces both above-ground and underground flowers, giving it a dual reproductive strategy that makes control particularly difficult. It is listed as a noxious weed in several countries.

9. American bushmint (Hyptis spicigera)

• Botanical name: Hyptis spicigera
• Family: Lamiaceae (mint family)
• Type: Annual broadleaf
• Also known as: Spicate bushmint

Belonging to the mint family, this weed has a distinctive aromatic scent. Its oils are considered an insecticide that can control some agricultural pests, giving it value beyond its role as a nuisance weed.

It is common in cereal-growing areas of northern and central Nigeria. Despite its insecticidal properties, it competes aggressively with sorghum and millet crops.

10. Bahama grass (Cynodon dactylon)

• Botanical name: Cynodon dactylon
• Family: Poaceae
• Type: Perennial grass
• Also known as: Bermuda grass, couch grass, doob

Like nuke-noh, Bahama grass has been used in traditional medicine. It is said to help with constipation and diabetes. It is also useful for grazing animals, so consider it twice before getting rid of this weed.

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It spreads aggressively via both stolons (above-ground runners) and rhizomes (underground stems), enabling it to colonise bare soil rapidly. In pasture settings, it is valued as fodder, but in cultivated cropland it is a persistent pest.

11. Wild sunflower (Aspilia africana)

• Botanical name: Aspilia africana
• Family: Asteraceae
• Type: Annual/perennial broadleaf
• Also known as: African wild sunflower

Wild sunflower is a West African plant that provides multiple traditional medicinal benefits. It is capable of stopping bleeding, accelerating wound healing, treating rheumatic pains and stings from bees or even scorpions.

Despite its medicinal reputation, it is a competitive weed in cropland, particularly in the forest-savannah transition zone of south-west Nigeria. Its daisy-like yellow flowers make it easy to spot in the field.

12. Elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum)

• Botanical name: Pennisetum purpureum
• Family: Poaceae
• Type: Perennial grass
• Also known as: Napier grass, Uganda grass

Resilient in dry conditions, this plant offers genuine soil benefits. It can improve the fertility of the soil and keep it from eroding, and it can be used in manufacturing. Elephant grass can grow up to 4–7 metres tall in ideal conditions.

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In unmanaged settings, it becomes invasive, blocking irrigation channels and shading out smaller crops. When managed well, it is a valuable biomass resource and erosion control tool.

13. Carpet grass (Axonopus compressus)

• Botanical name: Axonopus compressus
• Family: Poaceae
• Type: Perennial grass
• Also known as: Tropical carpet grass

Thriving in sunny, wet conditions, carpet grass forms a dense low mat that outcompetes other vegetation. It is hard to get rid of it. On the other hand, it can be used to beautify non-crop lands, such as parks or roadside areas, as it is fairly low-maintenance.

Its creeping stolons root at every node, allowing it to spread rapidly and recover quickly after mowing or slashing.

14. African club moss (Selaginella kraussiana)

• Botanical name: Selaginella kraussiana
• Family: Selaginellaceae
• Type: Lycophyte (primitive vascular plant)
• Also known as: Krauss's spikemoss, spreading clubmoss

African club moss is native to tropical and southern African regions. It is very adaptable, so good luck getting rid of it. However, it is rather attractive, so you might not even want to. It forms dense, bright-green mats in moist, shaded environments.

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Though not a major crop weed, it is invasive in garden beds and forest floors with high rainfall. It is classified as an invasive species in several countries outside Africa where it has been introduced through the ornamental plant trade.

15. African feather grass (Cenchrus macrourus)

• Botanical name: Cenchrus macrourus
• Family: Poaceae
• Type: Perennial grass
• Also known as: African feathergrass

Highly adaptable, African feather grass can thrive in cold and hot conditions, and it can tolerate wind and salty ground. It features strongly ribbed, tough leaves that are light green on top and dark green on the bottom.

It is invasive in disturbed areas and along roadsides, and is a difficult weed to eliminate once established due to its drought and wind tolerance.

16. African olive (Olea europaea subsp. africana)

• Botanical name: Olea europaea subsp. africana
• Family: Oleaceae
• Type: Perennial woody shrub/tree
• Also known as: Wild olive, African wild olive

Deceptive in appearance, this plant is, in fact, not useful in agricultural settings. African olive shrubs are very hard to kill, and their seeds are easily spread by birds, enabling rapid colonisation of disturbed land.

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It competes with native vegetation and agricultural land in the Guinea savanna zone of Nigeria. Its hard wood and deep root system make physical removal labour-intensive.

17. Buffalo grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum)

• Botanical name: Stenotaphrum secundatum
• Family: Poaceae
• Type: Perennial grass
• Also known as: St. Augustine grass, buffalo turf

Buffalo grass is known to crowd other plants and weeds, so it is not great if it grows next to your crops. However, it proves useful for livestock in pastures and is sometimes planted deliberately as ground cover in parks and gardens.

It spreads via long, above-ground stolons and is highly salt- and shade-tolerant, allowing it to colonise diverse environments from coastal areas to inland gardens.

18. Falsethistle (Acanthus montanus)

• Botanical name: Acanthus montanus
• Family: Acanthaceae
• Type: Perennial broadleaf
• Also known as: Mountain thistle, bear's breeches

Primarily found in forest or shaded areas, falsethistle is notable for its sharp, spine-tipped leaves. Protect your hands, as it is very prickly. The plant has rather pretty flowers, so you can enjoy it from afar.

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Its spiny leaves and ornamental flowers mean it is occasionally used in garden landscaping, but in natural and agricultural settings it is a weed of shaded, humid environments.

19. Creeping foxglove (Asystasia gangetica)

• Botanical name: Asystasia gangetica
• Family: Acanthaceae
• Type: Perennial broadleaf
• Also known as: Chinese violet, Ganges primrose

Found roadside and in waste areas despite its attractive tubular flowers, creeping foxglove has a wide distribution across southern Nigeria. Its leaves can be consumed as food or used in medicine.

It is an aggressive competitor in plantation crops including oil palm, rubber, and cocoa, where it forms a smothering ground cover that suppresses seedling establishment.

20. Yellow justicia (Justicia flava)

• Botanical name: Justicia flava
• Family: Acanthaceae
• Type: Annual/perennial broadleaf
• Also known as: Yellow water-willow

This common compound-farm weed offers practical value. Its leaves can be used in making soups and vegetable salt, and they are also known to be used in medicine, along with the other parts of the plant.

Yellow justicia is widespread across the farming landscapes of southern and central Nigeria and requires regular management in vegetable gardens and compound farms.

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21. Blackjack (Bidens pilosa)

• Botanical name: Bidens pilosa
• Family: Asteraceae
• Type: Annual broadleaf
• Also known as: Beggar's tick, cobbler's peg, Spanish needle

Blackjack is one of the most widespread broadleaf weeds in Nigeria. It produces small white-petalled flowers followed by needle-like seeds with barbed tips that attach to clothing and animal fur, giving it the name "beggar's tick."

It grows in gardens, roadsides, and cultivated fields from northern to southern Nigeria. Young leaves are edible and used in traditional soups, and the plant has well-documented antimicrobial properties. Farmers must control it early, before it sets seed.

22. Waterleaf (Talinum triangulare)

• Botanical name: Talinum triangulare
• Family: Talinaceae
• Type: Perennial broadleaf
• Also known as: Suriname purslane, Philippine spinach, gbure (Yoruba)

Waterleaf is one of the most useful weeds in Nigeria. Its fleshy, succulent leaves are widely consumed as a vegetable and are a key ingredient in soups such as edikaikong. It is extremely common in gardens, roadsides, and disturbed soil across southern Nigeria.

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Though edible and nutritious, it competes with other crops when unmanaged and can take over vegetable beds rapidly. Its popularity in Nigerian cooking means it is often deliberately cultivated alongside other crops.

23. Pigweed (Amaranthus spinosus)

• Botanical name: Amaranthus spinosus
• Family: Amaranthaceae
• Type: Annual broadleaf
• Also known as: Spiny amaranth, prickly amaranth

Pigweed is an aggressive annual that competes strongly with maize, sorghum, and vegetable crops. Its stems are armed with sharp spines, making manual removal uncomfortable without gloves. It can produce tens of thousands of seeds per plant.

Young leaves of Amaranthus species are edible and nutritious, and are commonly consumed as a green vegetable. However, uncontrolled growth significantly reduces crop yields. Some populations have shown resistance to certain herbicides in heavily treated fields.

24. Thorn apple (Datura stramonium)

• Botanical name: Datura stramonium
• Family: Solanaceae
• Type: Annual broadleaf
• Also known as: Jimsonweed, devil's snare

This plant is highly toxic. All parts of thorn apple contain tropane alkaloids, atropine, scopolamine, and hyoscyamine, which are dangerous and potentially lethal if ingested. It is responsible for poisoning incidents across West Africa.

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Thorn apple grows in disturbed soils, roadsides, and abandoned farmland. It is recognised by its large white trumpet-shaped flowers and spiny seed capsules. Keep livestock and children away from this plant.

25. Shame plant (Mimosa pudica)

• Botanical name: Mimosa pudica
• Family: Fabaceae (legume family)
• Type: Perennial broadleaf shrub
• Also known as: Touch-me-not, sensitive plant, sleeping grass

The shame plant is instantly recognisable: its leaflets fold inward and droop when touched, a response known as thigmonasty. This defensive mechanism protects it from herbivores. It spreads quickly along roadsides, grasslands, and cultivated land throughout Nigeria.

Its sprawling, spiny stems form dense mats that impede land management. Despite its weedy nature, it has traditional medicinal applications, and its roots can fix atmospheric nitrogen, offering modest soil fertility benefits.

26. Itchgrass (Rottboellia cochinchinensis)

• Botanical name: Rottboellia cochinchinensis
• Family: Poaceae
• Type: Annual grass
• Also known as: Corn grass, kokoma grass, raoul grass

Itchgrass is one of the most damaging annual grasses in Nigerian cereal farming. The silica-based hairs on its stem and leaves cause intense itching and skin irritation when touched without protection, hence its name.

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It is a serious weed of maize, sorghum, rice, and sugarcane fields. Growing rapidly to 1–3 metres, it produces abundant seeds and is classified as a quarantine pest in several countries due to its significant yield losses.

27. Wild lettuce (Lactuca taraxacifolia)

• Botanical name: Lactuca taraxacifolia
• Family: Asteraceae
• Type: Annual broadleaf
• Also known as: African lettuce, efo yanrin (Yoruba)

Wild lettuce is a common weed and vegetable found across southern and western Nigeria. Its leaves are used in traditional soups, most famously efo riro and efo egusi, under the Yoruba name efo yanrin. It has a slightly bitter taste similar to cultivated lettuce.

As a weed, it colonises gardens, roadsides, and cultivated fields. Its rapid growth and prolific seed production make it competitive with vegetable crops, but its culinary value means it is frequently harvested rather than discarded.

28. Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)

• Botanical name: Eichhornia crassipes
• Family: Pontederiaceae
• Type: Floating aquatic broadleaf
• Also known as: Common water hyacinth

Water hyacinth is among the world's most invasive aquatic weeds. It is a major problem on Nigerian waterways, including the Niger Delta, Lagos Lagoon, and the River Niger, where dense mats block boat traffic, reduce water oxygen levels, and kill fish.

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Its attractive purple flowers belie its ecological damage. A single plant can reproduce rapidly, covering vast surface areas in weeks. Biological control using weevils is used in Nigeria as part of integrated management programmes.

29. African spider plant (Cleome gynandra)

• Botanical name: Cleome gynandra
• Family: Cleomaceae
• Type: Annual broadleaf
• Also known as: Shona cabbage, cat's whiskers, funfun (Yoruba)

African spider plant is a dual-purpose weed common in gardens and farmland across Nigeria. Its leaves are edible and rich in vitamins and minerals; they are cooked as vegetables in many Nigerian communities, particularly in Yoruba households where they are known as funfun.

As a weed, it germinates readily in disturbed soil and can become dense in vegetable gardens. Its characteristic white flowers and long, spidery seed pods make it easy to identify. Early harvesting for food doubles as weed control.

30. Guinea grass (Megathyrsus maximus)

• Botanical name: Megathyrsus maximus (syn. Panicum maximum)
• Family: Poaceae
• Type: Perennial grass
• Also known as: Green panic, common guinea grass

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Guinea grass was introduced to Nigeria as livestock fodder but is now widely naturalised as an invasive weed. It grows up to 3–4 metres tall and forms dense stands that exclude native vegetation and suppress crop seedlings.

In pastoral settings, it remains a valuable, high-yielding fodder grass. In arable farming zones, it is a persistent problem weed, particularly in plantations, orchards, and along field boundaries. Its large size and vigorous growth make it difficult to remove by hand once established.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common weeds in Nigeria?

The most common weeds include speargrass (Imperata cylindrica), nutgrass (Cyperus rotundus), blackjack (Bidens pilosa), Siam weed (Chromolaena odorata), and witchweed (Striga spp.). These species affect the widest range of crops and farming zones across Nigeria.

What is the botanical name for speargrass in Nigeria?

The botanical name for speargrass is Imperata cylindrica. It belongs to the Poaceae (grass) family and is a perennial grass that spreads via underground rhizomes, making it difficult to eradicate.

Are any weeds in Nigeria edible?

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Yes. Several common Nigerian weeds are edible and used in traditional cooking. Waterleaf (Talinum triangulare) features in edikaikong soup. Wild lettuce (Lactuca taraxacifolia), known as efo yanrin, is used in efo riro. African spider plant (Cleome gynandra) and blackjack (Bidens pilosa) leaves are also cooked as vegetables.

How do farmers control weeds in Nigeria?

Common control methods include hand weeding, slashing, cover cropping and crop rotation (cultural); and herbicide application (chemical). The most effective approach depends on the weed type. For parasitic weeds like Striga, resistant crop varieties and biocontrol agents are increasingly used.

What is the most harmful weed in Nigeria?

Witchweed (Striga spp.) is widely considered the most destructive weed in Nigerian agriculture. As a root parasite of cereal crops, it can cause total yield losses in maize, sorghum, and millet. Its seeds remain viable in the soil for over 20 years, making eradication extremely difficult.

All farmers must learn about common weeds in Nigeria, including their scientific names and what they look like. This information is useful for identifying problem species early and choosing the right traditional, mechanical, cultural, chemical, or biological control method, whether managing a small farm or a large agribusiness operation.

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Legit.ng recently published a list of the best career opportunities in agriculture in Nigeria and the courses to select. These opportunities include agribusiness management, agricultural engineering, food science, and agronomy, with high-demand roles like farm managers, agricultural consultants, and veterinary doctors.

The key courses to select for these paths include B.Sc. in Agriculture, Agricultural Economics, Horticulture, or Animal Science. Follow the link above for more insights.

Source: Legit.ng