Which weed is a perennial, occasionally an annual, easily identified by large broad leaves at the base?

• A. Quack grass
• B. Broadleaf plantain
• C. Henbit
• D. Mouse-ear chickweed

Answer: (B)

Identifying a perennial weed by its basal rosette of large, broad leaves. Broadleaf plantain forms a low, dense circle of big, oval leaves that lie flat on the soil, with prominent parallel veins running the length of each leaf. This growth form is a strong indicator of plantain, which is primarily a perennial weed and persists year after year in turf, though it can behave like an annual in some conditions. In contrast, quackgrass is a grass with long, narrow leaves and creeping rhizomes, not a basal rosette; henbit has small, rounded-toothed leaves on square stems; and mouse-ear chickweed has tiny, hairy leaves and a prostrate habit. So the plant with a basal rosette of large leaves and perennial habit is broadleaf plantain.