pest watch
Pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
IDENTIFICATION – If you crush or bite into a pepperweed seed pod, you’ll know where it gets its name. It has a definite pungent scent and taste. A biennial, pepperweed sprouts in the fall and spends the winter as a small rosette of leaves. In spring it grows with a central stem and smaller side branches. Although usually about a foot tall, it can grow up to 6 ft.
The leaves are small and oblong, and clusters of tiny, green-white flowers bloom along the stems. After flowering in the spring, it produces small pods that each contain two yellow-orange seeds.
FAVORITE CONDITIONS – You’ll often find pepperweed growing in dry soil, but it’ll sprout anywhere that receives at least half a day of sun.
CONTROL – Pepperweed is a garden pest that pulls easily. Or you can mow it down in lawns or rough areas before it produces seeds. This should lessen the infestation with each passing year.
(56 votes, average: 4.38 out of 5) 
