Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Identifying plants Help identifying weed around new pond (Pics)

Need help identifying this weed species - bonus points for how to get rid of it around my new pond. A little background. Pond was built 3 years ago. I planted K31 fescue and it has taken root pretty well for a majority of the disturbed bank. The last couple of farther away pictures show the greening fescue and the brown spots are this woody weed. I am really only looking for good ground cover but this stuff dies early in the Fall and greens up late in the Spring. The Fescue holds up much better in the winter to prevent a steeper bank of the new pond but other hardy ground cover recommendations would be appreciated. Help!

ID? Dead weeds. Maybe someone more familiar with them can ID them, but I need leaves....... I'm guessing primrose, but it's only a guess. Keep an eye on the cattails, they can get out of hand quickly. I'd cut off the catkins, put them in a garbage bag or burn them before they spread more seeds.

Best I can tell you are referring to the land loving plants that are growing along the shoreline. My banks are left un-mowed for about 4 feet from the waterline and grow all kinds of plants with woody stems. If you don't want to mow or weed-eat to keep them under control, I suggest seeding the area with plants you would prefer like wild flower mixes. I just let mine go and weed-eat/mulch up the stems in late winter to improve the aesthetics.

Hard to determine from the dead stems but I do believe you are dealing with siricea lespedeza, (not sure about the spelling) but it is an invasive species here in MO that takes over any ground left bare, It was introduced here in the states by governmental agencies as a ground cover erosion control and became invasive like so many non native things they have introduced.
you might look it up on the MO Conservation website or any internet search platform. you will be able to tell better by looking at live pictures of it,, it is pretty hard to control but I do believe that the MO Conservation Dept will assist you in eradicating it I think if you have a big enough problem with it. hope that helps, and this may be a completely useless post if thats not even what it is.

they look like laid down stands of crab grass or maybe nimbleweed. Nimbleweed will usually branch out like that and have the smaller root balls but it is hard to tell when dead
https://www.amerigreenonline.com/weed-identification this might help

You could put down a grabgrass preventer and overseed what whatever grass you want to keep the weeds down.

Dethatch what you have now - either with a harrow or lawn dethatcher, a rake if you have neither. Then aerate before putting down the new seed. If you are in northern missouri dont put down the crab grass preventer until late april/early may....earlier further south you are. Don't use a weed and feed as it might kickoff FA in the pond. Some folks use corn gluten as a natural crab grass preventer

Useless, I don't know. But it's only the second time in my life I've heard of lespedeza, and it happens two days after the first.

FWIW sericea lespedeza is the perennial type. Annual lespedezas (they're all Legumes) are used as pasture forage and hay. They are mostly late growing and maturing. Sericea is high in tannins and can cause bloat in cattle, so it is not preferred for ag use. I've got 50 lbs of annual Korean lespedeza seed on order now for a trial in a poorer soil hayfield we never get to bale until after all the other fields.

If it looks halfway in between clover and alfalfa when growing, that is likely lespedeza.

Thanks for the input. Looking at some pictures I think it is Lespedeza. Anyone have ideas of a safe herbicide to use near my pond?

So I put down some pre-emergent this spring. The attached pic is what I have now.

The safer herbicide for pond edges is the aquatic formula of glyphosate (rodeo) plus the surfactant.

Or if you don't want to use a systemic, Diquat dibromide works very well and fast.