invasive weed - Ask Extension
Can you please tell me how I can eradicate this invasive weed. It is easiest to pull out when it has flowered. It has really taken over.. It seems to ...
Knowledgebase
invasive weed #868223
Asked May 13, 2024, 2:44 PM EDT
Can you please tell me how I can eradicate this invasive weed. It is easiest to pull out when it has flowered. It has really taken over.. It seems to die down in the winter. It looks somewhat like Queen Anne's Lace.
Prince George's County Maryland
Expert Response
This looks like Bishop's-Weed (Aegopodium podagraria)
which is an aggressive invasive plant that spreads fairly rapidly.
Also known as Goutweed, it is often first purchased in an attractive variegated form with white-edged minty-green leaves but can revert back to plain green, either in the original clump or seedling volunteers that move elsewhere. It grows from long roots called rhizomes, which not only allow it to spread, but makes it difficult to weed out as any pieces left behind can sprout.
If growing in any areas not planted with desirable species, you can try smothering with a tarp to prevent photosynthesis. This method depletes the carbohydrate reserve, thus weakening the plant. Given the plant's ability to creep, it may not be completely successful, or the cover may need to be used over a long period of time.
Otherwise, chemical control using a systemic herbicide is an option, with the careful application of a pesticide containing an active ingredient like glyphosate. That non-selective herbicide is absorbed into the plant, where it eventually kills the roots/rhizomes, though visible impacts of this dieback might take a week or more to manifest after treatment (or more than one treatment might be needed) for weeds this tenacious. If you opt to try herbicide, read all label instructions carefully and do not allow the product to get on desirable plants nearby.
To prevent future seedlings from starting a new infestation, make sure any bare soil is either covered with a couple inches of mulch, planted with a live (non-invasive) groundcover, or that seedlings are quickly identified and plucked out before they can establish.
Miri
which is an aggressive invasive plant that spreads fairly rapidly.
Also known as Goutweed, it is often first purchased in an attractive variegated form with white-edged minty-green leaves but can revert back to plain green, either in the original clump or seedling volunteers that move elsewhere. It grows from long roots called rhizomes, which not only allow it to spread, but makes it difficult to weed out as any pieces left behind can sprout.
If growing in any areas not planted with desirable species, you can try smothering with a tarp to prevent photosynthesis. This method depletes the carbohydrate reserve, thus weakening the plant. Given the plant's ability to creep, it may not be completely successful, or the cover may need to be used over a long period of time.
Otherwise, chemical control using a systemic herbicide is an option, with the careful application of a pesticide containing an active ingredient like glyphosate. That non-selective herbicide is absorbed into the plant, where it eventually kills the roots/rhizomes, though visible impacts of this dieback might take a week or more to manifest after treatment (or more than one treatment might be needed) for weeds this tenacious. If you opt to try herbicide, read all label instructions carefully and do not allow the product to get on desirable plants nearby.
To prevent future seedlings from starting a new infestation, make sure any bare soil is either covered with a couple inches of mulch, planted with a live (non-invasive) groundcover, or that seedlings are quickly identified and plucked out before they can establish.
Miri
Miri,
Thank you very much for your quick , informative response. I feel very fortunate to have this U of MD resource .
Christine
You're welcome.