There are some short creeping weeds that like colonizing dry disturbed sites around here (Southern Alberta). I'm tempted to encourage them to grow as ground cover on my new bare sandy loam yard because my work doesn't allow me the time to properly maintain a lawn. The thing is I don't know what they are or how bad they might be. The first is somewhat uncommon, and grows tiny marble-sized seed pods. Cut open they have a very strong melon smell. The stems smell much different when ground up. The second two weeds are very common; the close up is some pieces of the flatter plant seen in the hand photo. Thanks
1. Wild tomato, Solanum triflorum. (Despite the common name, don't be tempted to eat any part of it - it's very poisonous.) It's harder than I thought to come up with the species of the other two. The second photo shows "knotweed" on the left... Polygonum arenastrum? I'm not sure what the one on the right is... perhaps a very compact Portulaca oleracea? I don't think many experienced gardeners would endorse the thought of letting these weeds gain a good foothold, dropping thousands of seeds every year...
