This annual can grow up to a metre tall and the stems are usually multi-branched. It has matt grey-green leaves that are oval to diamond shaped, with a powdery coating and pale underside. Spikes of small green-white flowers are produced from June to October.

Control

It is easily uprooted and should be pulled out before the seeds mature and disperse.

Remove weeds by hand or by hoe as soon as you see them

• Spray with a systemic weedkiller that is absorbed through the leaves of the plant, the active ingredient makes its way through the cells of the plant down to the root. It kills these first and then the foliage starts to die off