Thanks to the abundance of rain received this past winter and spring, your landscape may be like mine, flourishing with vegetation that I did not plant. In other words, weeds, plants of no value growing vigorously in my garden, some even choking out those plants that I do desire and are pushing my tolerance level beyond it's limits.

But.... how do you know if it is a weed, or maybe a native plant whose seeds have been dormant, or something shared by a friendly critter?

You can check out the Calflora website database and learn about plants that grow wild in California - both native and weeds.

Or, if you think something might be overly invasive, go through  the California Invasive Plant Council gallery - a very extensive collection of photos to find out if it is a landscape friend or foe.