Knowledgebase

Plant identification #872437

Asked June 10, 2024, 2:15 PM EDT

After several years, this plant has overtaken a good part of my back garden. It's probably an invasive specie of some sort. Am seeking to identify it and find the best way to manage it. (PS - I recognize the ivy in the background. I'm seeking to identify the vine-like plant with the long stems.) Appreciate your help.

Montgomery County Maryland

Expert Response

This looks like one of the Bedstraw species (Galium, the same genus to which Sweet Woodruff belongs). In particular, given its abundant growth, it resembles Cleavers (also called Common Bedstraw, which occurs state-wide. Both native and non-native weeds can be aggressive, so a rapid spreader isn't necessarily invasive. Cleavers, as it happens it noted to be both native and non-native on the website linked above, as its status seems to be in debate. The information on iNaturalist indicates it seems to be native in North America, even though it occurs nearly globally today.

As an annual, this weed should be fairly easy to control in that it should be easy to pull up, or cut back to prevent it from going to seed. Minimizing soil disturbance from digging or raking can help avoid future reappearances by discouraging germination of any seeds left in the seed bank. Any exposed soil between plants can be covered with mulch or an aggressive native groundcover to similarly suppress the germination of weed seeds landing on the soil surface.

Miri

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