Utah weed guide · 4 min read
Goatheads in Utah: How to Remove Puncturevine Before It Ruins Your Summer
If you’ve ever pulled a thorn out of your bike tire — or your dog’s paw — you know the misery of goatheads. Their proper name is puncturevine, and it’s a common summer weed across Utah’s dry, sunny yards, gravel areas, driveways, and open lots.
How to identify goatheads
Goatheads grow as a low, flat mat that radiates from a central point, with small, feathery leaves and tiny yellow flowers. After flowering, the plant produces burrs that split into sharp, spiked pieces — the dreaded “goatheads.”
When goatheads set seed
They sprout in late spring when the soil warms, grow rapidly through July, and begin producing burrs soon after. A single plant can produce a huge number of seeds, which can stay in the soil for years — so pulling before the burrs form is the key to getting ahead of them.
How to remove them
- Pull the whole plant, including the central taproot, while the soil is slightly damp.
- Bag the plant — don’t toss it on the compost pile where burrs can survive.
- Check the area again a week later. New seedlings keep emerging all summer.
- Sweep or rake up fallen burrs (wear sturdy gloves and shoes) to reduce next year’s crop.
- Keep going every week. Frequent pulling over a couple of seasons wears down the seed bank.
Why hand pulling works best
Goatheads grow low and tuck into cracks, gravel, and the edges of lawns and driveways — places that are difficult to spray without harming nearby plants. Hand pulling reaches into every crack and removes the plant before it can produce burrs.
Goatheads are a big reason Utah homeowners choose weekly weed pulling: a steady schedule catches new plants before they ever set seed.
Related guides
Where we pull weeds
Serving Utah County and Salt Lake County — find your city. Popular: Lehi, Provo, Orem, American Fork, Sandy, Draper, South Jordan, Salt Lake City.