Are these pretty flowers, or weeds?

The vine in the bottom photo is indeed Virginia creeper. In the top photo, the tall lacy one in the center looks like common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)--you can confirm this by running your hand down the stem. read more

The little airy flowers along the ground are sweet alyssum, and the climber on the right with large heart-shaped leaves is morning glory. The little one with heart-shaped leaves in threes is wood sorrel--a weed, but a tasty one. read more

Joe-pye weed and boneset are late-summer bloomers that produce a purplish flower head. The goldenrod family has as many as 125 species, according to the book “Weeds,” with most plants growing in North America. Goldenrod has yellow flowers that are quite pretty, but the plant grows densely in fields and causes hay fever among allergy sufferers. read more

Pretty ivy-like foliage and blue flowers belie a persistent almost-impossible-to-control lawn weed. Prevention is best as weedkillers are none too effective against it. But having said that, it is usually an acceptable component of many workaday lawns, and lifting them with the lawn rake before mowing provides sufficient control. read more