Garden tip: Watch out for these weeds

Do you have these two nasty weeds in your garden?

Bur clover, Medicago polymorpha, has a spirally coiled pod that sticks to everything. Your clothes, gardening gloves and dog may act as transport for the seed. It’s important to pull this weed before the seed develops to stop the spread of this weed to all parts of your garden. Bur clover is in the pea family Fabaceae and has clover-like leaves with three leaflets.

Another weed you should hand-pull early is the puncture vine, Tribulus Terrestris. The bur breaks apart into five nutlets, each with two stout spines and several prickles. If stepped on, these can be dangerous — they are strong enough to puncture a bike tire. The plant trails along the ground like bur clover. It has several pairs of leaflets along the stem.

— Katie Martin, UC Marin Master Gardeners