Greetings Linda,

Unfortunately, both options for Spanish bluebell removal will take patience and persistence.

The first, and likely best, option is to dig up the bulbs and dispose of them in the garbage, as the plants can regenerate from even small pieces left in the ground or placed in a compost bin. Even with digging them up thoroughly this year, some will likely come back next year (and possibly even the year after!) and will need to be removed again, although the clumps will get smaller with time.

The other option is to cut all of the foliage off the plants to deprive them of nutrients and slowly starve the plants over time. However, you will need to consistently remove the leaves during the growing season and it will likely take longer for the plants to completely go away compared with digging out the bulbs.

Spanish bluebell removal is a frequently asked question we receive and you can find an even more detailed response on the OSU Ask Extension FAQ website:

https://ask.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=826961

Best of luck to you!

Happy gardening,